Meaning

noun a native or inhabitant of Damascus

noun a design produced by inlaying gold or silver into steel

verb inlay metal with gold and silver

originFrom Latin Damascēnus, from Ancient Greek Δαμασκηνός (Damaskēnós). By surface analysis, Damascus + -ene. The sense “pertaining to a sudden and complete change in one's beliefs” refers to the conversion of St Paul to Christianity on the road to Damascus.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0