cilery

noun

variants or cillery

plural -es

obsolete

: the carved ornamentation of the capital of a column

Word History

Etymology

alteration of earlier celure bed canopy, bed hangings, tapestry, from Middle English celure, sillour, siller, from Old French celeure ceiling, canopy, from Medieval Latin celatura canopy, carved ceiling, from Latin caelatura carving, from caelare to carve

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!