lapidary
Also lap·i·dist [lap-i-dist]. /ˈlæp ɪ dɪst/. a worker who cuts, polishes, and engraves precious stones.
Also la·pid·ar·ist [luh-pid-er-ist]. /ləˈpɪd ər ɪst/. an expert in precious stones and the art or techniques used in cutting and engraving them.
the art of cutting, polishing, and engraving precious stones.
an old book on the lore of gems.
of or relating to the cutting or engraving of precious stones.
characterized by an exactitude and extreme refinement that suggests gem cutting: a lapidary style; lapidary verse.
of, relating to, or suggestive of inscriptions on stone monuments.
Origin of lapidary
1Words Nearby lapidary
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use lapidary in a sentence
The style is as lapidary as ever, but strangely the mood is lighter than before.
Meanwhile, valuable moments in which someone could be chiming in with another “lapidary” are ticking away.
What would happen if Thomas Brown's friends paid for such lapidary style as that?
Adventures and Enthusiasms | E. V. LucasThe first to come before Solomon with his complaint was one Achior, a lapidary by trade.
Sulamith: A Romance of Antiquity | Alexandre KuprinHis first attempt produced a red ware, like jasper, which was cut and polished by the lapidary and gilt by the goldsmith.
The Collector's Handbook to Keramics of the Renaissance and Modern Periods | William Chaffers
He had carried out her mission to Perth; he had delivered the jewels to the lapidary and was back with his answer.
Old Broadbrim Into the Heart of Australia | Author of "Old Broadbrim"For further details upon Gems, and the art of cutting and engraving them, see lapidary.
A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines | Andrew Ure
British Dictionary definitions for lapidary
/ (ˈlæpɪdərɪ) /
a person whose business is to cut, polish, set, or deal in gemstones
of or relating to gemstones or the work of a lapidary
Also: lapidarian (ˌlæpɪˈdɛərɪən) engraved, cut, or inscribed in a stone or gemstone
of sufficiently high quality to be engraved on a stone: a lapidary inscription
Origin of lapidary
1Derived forms of lapidary
- lapidarian, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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