cabochon

/ˌkæbəˈʃɒn/

//ˌkæbəˈʃɒn// noun

"cabochon" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cabochon” is uncommon English (frequency #92,423 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#92,423
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A precious stone which has only been polished, not cut into facets.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cabochon · cabochon · English

cabochon · rank #92,423 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #92,423
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH Bussey

Nearest frequency peer: Bussey (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “cabochon”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “cabochon” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for cabochon
PropertyValue
Headwordcabochon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌkæbəˈʃɒn/
Letters8
Frequency rank#92,423
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “cabochon” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).cabochonfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “Bussey” (#92,422), “Burnsville” (#92,421), “calfskin” (#92,426). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cabochon” is #92,423. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cabochon is uncommon English at frequency #92,423 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌkæbəˈʃɒn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A precious stone which has only been polished, not cut into facets.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for cabochon in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French cabochon, diminutive form of caboche (“head”), from Old French caboce, from Latin caput (“head”). The correct English form is cabochon, spelled C-A-B-O-C-H-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A precious stone which has only been polished, not cut into facets.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how cabochon appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Thecla was […] stroking a bracelet formed like a kraken, a kraken whose tentacles wrapped the white flesh of her arm; its eyes were cabochon emeralds.

Etymology

Borrowed from French cabochon, diminutive form of caboche (“head”), from Old French caboce, from Latin caput (“head”).

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "cabochon"?
"cabochon" is spelled C-A-B-O-C-H-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌkæbəˈʃɒn/.
What does "cabochon" mean?
As a noun, "cabochon" means: A precious stone which has only been polished, not cut into facets.
How do you pronounce "cabochon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cabochon" is /ˌkæbəˈʃɒn/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "cabochon"?
Borrowed from French cabochon, diminutive form of caboche (“head”), from Old French caboce, from Latin caput (“head”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "cabochon", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list