filigree

American  

[fil-i-gree] / ˈfɪl ɪˌgri /

Rarely filagree,

noun

1. delicate ornamental work of fine silver, gold, or other metal wires, especially lacy jewelers' work of scrolls and arabesques.

2. anything very delicate or fanciful.

   a filigree of frost.

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adjective

1. composed of or resembling filigree.

verb (used with object)

filigreed, filigreeing

1. to adorn with or form into filigree.

filigree British  

/ ˈfɪlɪˌɡriː /

noun

1. delicate ornamental work of twisted gold, silver, or other wire

2. any fanciful delicate ornamentation

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adjective

1. made of or as if with filigree

verb

1. (tr) to decorate with or as if with filigree

Other Word Forms

• filigreed adjective

Etymology

Origin of filigree

First recorded in 1685–95; earlier filigreen, variant of filigrain

Example Sentences

Its wheels’ gold rims, capped with smiley faces, are emblazoned with the platitude “Where Dreams Are Made,” while the whole thing is ornamented with piped-icing filigree.

From The Wall Street Journal

Trina wears her wampum beads She fills her drawing book with line Sewing lace on widow’s weeds And filigree on leaf and vine.

From New York Times

For all the political filigree, “The Regime” boils down to a love story of sorts between Elena and Herbert, and the stripped gears of their shifting power dynamic.

From Los Angeles Times

The heart of the track is his crystalline vocal, which carries over his steady piano work, with a few splashes of filigree on the bridge.

From New York Times

The look of it reminded Ella of a jewelry box she'd spotted on Gran's dresser with writhing filigree, twisted threads of gold on its lid.

From Literature

Related Words

• lattice