topiary

[ toh-pee-er-ee ]

/ ˈtoʊ piˌɛr i /

Horticulture

SEE SYNONYMS FOR topiary ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

(of a plant) clipped or trimmed into fantastic shapes.

of or relating to such trimming.

noun, plural to·pi·ar·ies.

topiary work; the topiary art.

a garden containing such work.

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Origin of topiary

1585–95; < Latin topiārius pertaining to landscape-gardening or to ornamental gardens, equivalent to topi(a) (plural) artificial landscape (< Greek tópia (singular topion), diminutive of tópos place) + -ārius -ary

Words nearby topiary

tophaceous gout, tophamper, tophet, tophus, topi, topiary, topic, topic sentence, topical, topical anesthesia, topicality

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for topiary

He took meeting after meeting with giddy Hollywood executives and pitched them his followup—a sci-fi epic called A Topiary.
‘Upstream Color,’ Shane Carruth’s Sci-Fi Drama, Is the Year’s Craziest Film (So Far)|Marlow Stern|April 6, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Real name Hector Monsegur, he helped the FBI level charges on U.K.-based team members Topiary and Kayla.
Anonymous Member Speaks About Divide in the Collective’s Mission|Parmy Olson|June 13, 2012|DAILY BEAST
One of them was Topiary, an alleged leader of the LulzSec group.
The Godfather of Hacking|Brian Ries|August 19, 2011|DAILY BEAST
These topiary hedges were known to the Romans, with whom the topiarius was the ornamental gardener.
Amusements in Mathematics|Henry Ernest Dudeney

There were bushes exhibiting fantastic examples of the topiary art, and here, too, was a sun-dial.
Bat Wing|Sax Rohmer
The basin which formerly occupied the centre was replaced some years ago by a block of yew surmounted by topiary figures.
Mazes and Labyrinths|W. H. Matthews
There is a quaint charm in the results of the topiary art, in the prim imagery of evergreens, that all ages have felt.
Garden Design and Architects' Gardens|W. Robinson
May I add that poodles ought not to be shaved with a safety-razor, but should be trimmed by a topiary expert?
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 152, June 6, 1917|Various

British Dictionary definitions for topiary

topiary

/ (ˈtəʊpɪərɪ) /

adjective

of, relating to, or characterized by the trimming or training of trees or bushes into artificial decorative animal, geometric, or other shapes

noun

plural -aries

topiary work
a topiary garden

the art of topiary

Derived forms of topiary

topiarian (ˌtəʊpɪˈɛərɪən), adjectivetopiarist, noun

Word Origin for topiary

C16: from French topiaire, from Latin topia decorative garden work, from Greek topion little place, from topos place

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

topiary

adjective

noun, plural to·pi·ar·ies.

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Origin of topiary

Words nearby topiary

Words related to topiary

Example sentences from the Web for topiary

British Dictionary definitions for topiary

adjective

noun

Derived forms of topiary

Word Origin for topiary