: having the elegance and precision associated with inscriptions on monumental stone
a stanza that has a lapidary dignity
2
a
: sculptured in or engraved on stone
b
: of, relating to, or suggestive of precious stones or the art of cutting them
Did you know?
The Latin word for "stone" is lapis; in that language, something "of or relating to stone" is described as lapidarius. Gem cutters obviously relate well to stone, and during the 14th century someone decided that lapidarius should be related to them. The spelling of the term was modified, and it was borrowed into English as a name for both gem cutters and their art. Since the 1700s, lapidary has also been used as an adjective describing things having the elegance and precision of inscriptions carved on stone monuments or things relating to the art of gem cutting.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Perfume is an accessory as elevating and as personal as a piece of jewelry, and perhaps no one knows this better than Cartier perfumer Mathilde Laurent, who crafts every scent with the meticulous care of a lapidary. April Long, Town & Country, 27 Oct. 2020
Adjective
Outside of science, his interests included wine making, lapidary work and orchid cultivation. Lee Billings, Scientific American, 6 Sep. 2022 Her firmly modeled countenance, lapidary as a piece of sculpture, emerges from a thick, black-blue spatial environment that seems to recede endlessly in all directions. Eric Gibson, WSJ, 26 Aug. 2022 Stuart catalogs, with a lapidary eye, the effects of family trauma and wide-scale social and economic depression on his young protagonists. Claire Jarvis, The Atlantic, 12 July 2022 There will everything from crystals and gems, rough slabs and cabs to lapidary tools. Linda Mcintosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2022 Displays include unusual rock specimens, lapidary arts, fossils, gems and minerals from around the world.oregonlive, 9 Mar. 2022 The market will feature crystals and gems, rough slabs and cabs and lapidary tools. Linda Mcintosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Sep. 2021 What’s more, Stravinsky’s voice as a composer and Auden’s as a poet have certain qualities in common, especially a lapidary clarity. Matthew Aucoin, The New York Review of Books, 5 Nov. 2020 There will be gems and lapidary art demonstrations. Linda Mcintosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2021 See More
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Latin lapidarius of stone, from lapid-, lapis stone