topiary

1 of 2

noun

to·​pi·​ary ˈtō-pē-ˌer-ē How to pronounce topiary (audio)
plural topiaries
1
a
: a plant shaped by topiary art
b
: topiary plants
2
: topiary art or gardening
also : a topiary garden

topiary

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or being the practice or art of training, cutting, and trimming trees or shrubs into odd or ornamental shapes
also : characterized by such work

Examples of topiary in a Sentence

Noun a garden featuring topiaries and fountains
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The trees used in the topiary arts can outlive the people who plant them. Melvin Backman, Quartz, 21 Oct. 2024 Their work represented contrasting ways of managing topiary and life itself. Sophie Elmhirst, The New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Until recently, there had also been a topiary cat chasing a topiary mouse, but a nearby tree had started dropping branches and killed the cat. Sophie Elmhirst, The New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2024 The restaurant is surrounded by trees, topiary bushes for walls, and an array of lighting positioned around the restaurant. Allyson Portee, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2023 See all Example Sentences for topiary 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'topiary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin topiarius, from topia ornamental gardening, irregular from Greek topos place

First Known Use

Noun

1904, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

1592, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of topiary was in 1592

Dictionary Entries Near topiary

Cite this Entry

“Topiary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/topiary. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

topiary

1 of 2 adjective
to·​pi·​ary ˈtō-pē-ˌer-ē How to pronounce topiary (audio)
1
a
: relating to or being the art or practice of topiary
b
: shaped or created by topiary
a topiary elephant
2
: characterized by or containing topiary
a topiary garden

topiary

2 of 2 noun
plural topiaries
1
: the art or practice of training and trimming trees or shrubs into odd or ornamental shapes
2
: a garden or park containing plants shaped by topiary
also : a plant or plants shaped by topiary

More from Merriam-Webster on topiary

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