Daily Almanac for
Nov 26, 2009
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o•ri•en•tal



Pronunciation: (ôr"ē-en'tl, ōr"-), [key]
—adj.
1. (usu. cap.) of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the Orient, or East; Eastern.
2. of the orient or east; eastern.
3. (cap.) Zoogeog.belonging to a geographical division comprising southern Asia and the Malay Archipelago as far as and including the Philippines, Borneo, and Java.
4. Jewelry.
a. (usu. cap.) designating various gems that are varieties of corundum: Oriental aquamarine; Oriental ruby.
b. fine or precious; orient: oriental agate; oriental garnet.
c. designating certain natural saltwater pearls found esp. in the Orient.

—n.
(usually cap.) a native or inhabitant of the Orient.

Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.

orientOriental alabaster
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