filigree

1 of 2

noun

fil·​i·​gree ˈfi-lə-ˌgrē 

1

: ornamental work especially of fine wire of gold, silver, or copper applied chiefly to gold and silver surfaces

a headband decorated with silver filigree

2

a

: ornamental openwork of delicate or intricate design

b

: a pattern or design resembling such openwork

a filigree of frost

c

: ornamentation, embellishment

… writings … heavy with late Victorian filigree.

—Jack Beatty

Illustration of filigree

• filigree 2a

filigree

2 of 2

verb

filigreed; filigreeing

transitive verb

: to adorn with or as if with filigree

Did you know?

Ornamental work formerly made with grains or beads is called filigree. It comes from an Italian word made from the Latin words for thread and grain. Today filigree is usually of fine wire of gold, silver, or copper, and is used chiefly to decorate gold and silver surfaces. Filigree can also apply to any ornamental openwork of delicate or intricate design or to a pattern or design resembling such openwork.

Examples of filigree in a Sentence

Noun

a surface decorated with filigree and pearls

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In moments like these, KAVARI carves intricate filigrees out of monolithic blocks of sound, keeping the spiky moments from devolving into overly indulgent harsh noise (for fans of the latter, try her side project EEL BLOOD). —James Gui, Pitchfork, 6 Feb. 2026

Gold filigree adorned a clear base, giving her nails a romantic, pre-Raphaelite effect that’s become part of Chappell’s signature style. —Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 2 Feb. 2026

Verb

Beyond its core collections, the workshop has extended its craft into couture-level pieces, which range from dragon and phoenix bridal robes to filigree Miao-style hats, and more. —Denni Hu, Footwear News, 12 Feb. 2026

Each story is filigreed with the meta-commentary flashing onscreen and a daredevil’s enjoyment of audience interaction. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 22 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

modification of French filigrane, from Italian filigrana, from Latin filum + granum grain — more at corn

First Known Use

Noun

1693, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1831, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for filigree

• agree
• allee
• banshee
• beastly
• bibi
• bowsprit
• carefree
• cerci
• chablis
• cowpea
• crappie
• crappy

Kids Definition

filigree

noun

fil·​i·​gree

ˈfil-ə-ˌgrē

1

: ornamental work especially of fine wire applied chiefly to gold and silver surfaces

2

a

: ornamental work of delicate or complicated design done so as to show openings through the material

b

: a pattern or design resembling such work