damascene means inlaid with silver or gold. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 80 out of 100.
Why this word is great
DAMASCENE — [Adjective, Noun] Ornamented with inlaid gold or silver, especially upon steel; or, of or pertaining to Damascus. From Latin Damascēnus, from Ancient Greek Δαμασκηνός (Damaskēnós, 'of Damascus'). The English form incorporates the toponym Damascus and the suffix -ene (denoting origin or material). Unlike niello (the filling of an engraving with a dark alloy) or Damascus steel (the patterned metal itself), damascene is the patient art of embellishment, the laying of luminous filigree upon a darker, harder ground. It is the gilded vines winding through the barrel of an Ottoman rifle, the silver constellations set into the hilt of a crusader’s blade, and the cold fire of precious calligraphy hammered into steel—a quiet argument against erasure, celebrating the beauty of a scar filled with light.
adj
- Inlaid with silver or gold.
- Of or from Damascus.
- Of or relating to Damascus.
- Pertaining to a sudden and complete change in one's beliefs.
noun
- A pigeon of a certain breed.
- A native or inhabitant of Damascus.
verb
- To decorate (metalwork) with a peculiar marking or water produced in the process of manufacture, or with designs produced by inlaying or encrusting with another metal, such as silver or gold, or by etching, etc.; to damask.