lapis lazuli
Americannoun
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a deep-blue mineral composed mainly of lazurite with smaller quantities of other minerals, used mainly as a gem or as a pigment.
-
a sky-blue color; azure.
noun
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a brilliant blue variety of the mineral lazurite, used as a gemstone
-
the deep blue colour of lapis lazuli
Etymology
Origin of lapis lazuli
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Medieval Latin, equivalent to Latin lapis “stone” + Medieval Latin lazulī, genitive of lazulum “lapis lazuli”; see azure
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The doorknob-size piece, inlaid with carnelian, agate and lapis lazuli flowers reminiscent of the Taj, exemplifies how even the smallest functional item would be meticulously crafted and decorated in a consistent style in Mughal workshops.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
The boy king's gold-covered sarcophagus and his burial mask, inlaid with lapis lazuli, will take centre stage at Saturday's opening.
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2025
Pigments made of minerals including hematite and rocks like lapis lazuli are ground into nanoparticles and suspended in silica, resembling “melted glass,” as Magaloni describes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2025
Moreover, could it have functioned as a sacred cemetery for nomadic travellers, considering that the closest source of lapis lazuli found in these graves likely traces back to distant Afghanistan?
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2023
However, at that moment, its fur was now as blue as the lapis lazuli powder it was covered in.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
