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Webster 1913 Edition

Topiary

Top′i-a-ry

,
Adj.
[L.
topiarius
belonging to ornamental gardening, fr.
topia
(sc.
opera
) ornamental gardening, fr. Gr. [GREEK] a place.]
Of or pertaining to ornamental gardening; produced by cutting, trimming, etc.; topiarian.
Topiary work
,
arbors, shrubbery, hedges, or the like, cut and trimmed into fanciful forms, as of animals, buildings, etc.

Webster 1828 Edition

Topiary

TOP'IARY

,
Adj.
[L. topiarius, ornamented.] Shaped by clipping or cutting.

Definition 2024

topiary

topiary

English

Adjective

topiary ‎(not comparable)

  1. In the manner of a topiary.
  2. Of, or relating to art of topiaries.
    • 1910, American homes and gardens: Volume 7
      As the topiary art has been allowed to practically die out, it is difficult to secure the services of skilled clippers.

Translations

Noun

topiary ‎(countable and uncountable, plural topiaries)

  1. (countable) A garden decorated with shrubs which have been trimmed in artistic shapes, often of animals.
  2. (countable) One such shrub or tree.
    • 1994, Robert Jordan, Lord of Chaos, prologue
      The palace garden might have had a semblance of coolness had there been any trees, but the tallest things were fanciful topiary, tortured into the shapes of running horses or bears performing tumblers’ tricks or the like.
  3. (uncountable) Topiary gardening.

Translations

See also

Etymology

From Latin topiarius ‎(“of or relating to ornamental gardening; an ornamental garden, an ornamental gardener”), from Ancient Greek τόπια ‎(tópia, “artistic representation in which natural or artificial features of a place are used as the medium”), from τόπος ‎(tópos, “place”). The adjective use dates to 1592, the noun use dates to 1908.

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