lapidary

[ lap-i-der-ee ]

/ ˈlæp ɪˌdɛr i /

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See synonyms for lapidary on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural lap·i·dar·ies.

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.

adjective Also lap·i·dar·i·an

[lap-i-dair-ee-uhn]. /ˌlæp ɪˈdɛər i ən/.

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.

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Origin of lapidary

1325–75; Middle English lapidarie (noun) <Latin lapidārius of stone (adj.), stone-cutter (noun), equivalent to lapid- (stem of lapis) stone + -ārius-ary

Words nearby lapidary

LaPerm, La Pérouse, La Pérouse Strait, lapful, lapheld, lapidary, lapidate, lapidation, lapidicolous, lapidify, lapillus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use lapidary in a sentence

The style is as lapidary as ever, but strangely the mood is lighter than before.
Tony Judt's Final Words|John Gray|November 23, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Meanwhile, valuable moments in which someone could be chiming in with another “lapidary” are ticking away.
Franzen Frenzy!|Lizzie Skurnick|August 31, 2010|DAILY BEAST
What would happen if Thomas Brown's friends paid for such lapidary style as that?
Adventures and Enthusiasms|E. V. Lucas
The first to come before Solomon with his complaint was one Achior, a lapidary by trade.
Sulamith: A Romance of Antiquity|Alexandre Kuprin

His 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

lapidary

/ (ˈlæpɪdərɪ) /

noun plural -daries

a person whose business is to cut, polish, set, or deal in gemstones

adjective

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 stonea lapidary inscription

Derived forms of lapidary

lapidarian, adjective

Word Origin for lapidary

C14: from Latin lapidārius, from lapid-, lapis stone

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

lapidary

Origin of lapidary

Words nearby lapidary

Words related to lapidary

How to use lapidary in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for lapidary

Derived forms of lapidary

Word Origin for lapidary