lapidary

¹

[ lap-i-der-ee ]

noun

, plural lap·i·dar·ies.

1. Also lap·i·dist [] a worker who cuts, polishes, and engraves precious stones.
2. Also la·pid·ar·ist [] 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.

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

²

[ lap-i-der-ee ]

noun

, plural lap·i·dar·ies.

1. Also lap·i·dist [] a worker who cuts, polishes, and engraves precious stones.
2. Also la·pid·ar·ist [] 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.

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

/ ˈlæpɪdərɪ /

noun

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

adjective

1. of or relating to gemstones or the work of a lapidary
2. Alsolapidarianˌlæpɪˈdɛərɪən engraved, cut, or inscribed in a stone or gemstone
3. of sufficiently high quality to be engraved on a stone

   a lapidary inscription

Derived Forms

• ˌlapiˈdarian, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of lapidary¹

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

Origin of lapidary²

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of lapidary¹

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

Example Sentences

Two layered discs carved out of Dalmatian jasper support a pink-hued thulite bowl; the materials were selected by the brand’s gemologists and cut and polished by lapidaries to bring out their full character.

From New York Times

Art and dance studios lined the left side and lapidary labs the right.

From Literature

When you conduct your search, look for a digital jewelry scale that has the ability to weigh gemstones, lapidary materials and jewelry.

From Encyclopedia.com

Its heyday was in the 1950s, when there were an estimated 2 million home lapidary shops in operation across the nation, and rockhounding was encouraged by the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

Readers were clamoring for literary works that deployed irony, lapidary prose and an artful yet steely-eyed glimpse into the conflict.

From Los Angeles Times