diadem

views updated May 23 2018

di·a·dem / ˈdīəˌdem/ • n. a jeweled crown or headband worn as a symbol of sovereignty. ∎ (the diadem) archaic the authority or dignity symbolized by a diadem: the princely diadem.DERIVATIVES: di·a·demed adj.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

diadem

views updated May 29 2018

diadem XIII. — (O)F. diadème — L. diadēma — Gr. diādēma, f. diadeîn bind round. f. DIA- + deîn bind.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

diadem

views updated May 29 2018

diadem a jewelled crown or headband worn as a symbol of sovereignty. Recorded from Middle English, the word comes via Old French and Latin from Greek diadēma ‘the regal headband of the Persian kings’, from diadein ‘bind round’.

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ELIZABETH KNOWLES