lapidary

American  

[lap-i-der-ee] / ˈlæp ɪˌdɛr i /

noun

lapidaries plural

1. Also lapidist a worker who cuts, polishes, and engraves precious stones.

2. Also lapidarist an expert in precious stones and the art or techniques used in cutting and engraving them.

3. the art of cutting, polishing, and engraving precious stones.

4. an old book on the lore of gems.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the cutting or engraving of precious stones.

2. characterized by an exactitude and extreme refinement that suggests gem cutting.

   a lapidary style; lapidary verse.

3. of, relating to, or suggestive of inscriptions on stone monuments.

lapidary British  

/ ˈlæpɪdərɪ /

noun

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

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adjective

1. of or relating to gemstones or the work of a lapidary

2. Also: lapidarian.  engraved, cut, or inscribed in a stone or gemstone

3. of sufficiently high quality to be engraved on a stone

   a lapidary inscription

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• lapidarian
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• lapidaries
  plural

Etymology

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

Explanation

The word lapidary relates to precious stones, especially the things people do with them such as cut, polish, and set them in a fancy bracelet. If you know someone who carves gems, engraves marble, or does other work with precious stones, then you know someone who does lapidary work. A lot of lapidary work involves making jewelry, but doing inscriptions in monuments is also lapidary. Someone who collects precious or rare stones has a lapidary hobby. You can also call a person who works with such stones a lapidary. Lapidary comes from the Latin word, lapis, for stone.

Example Sentences

There’s a lapidary quality to Mr. Pence’s manifesto, and it’s worth noting that he invokes Isaiah: “look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

Clarifying all of this was the lapidary statement of Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, a former wrestler and mixed martial artist who has been selected as Kristi Noem’s replacement at DHS.

From Salon • Mar. 14, 2026

Nor are they much concerned with irony, lapidary prose, etc.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2023

Davis is often called on to go big in her roles, to let the emotion and snot flow, so it’s a pleasure watching her hold back and change it up with lapidary, minimalist precision.

From New York Times • Apr. 4, 2023

Bernabe rolled the concept of painted cattleguards around in his brain the way a lapidary rolls a rough stone around in a rock tumbler to make it smooth.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols