filigree

1 of 2

noun

fil·​i·​gree ˈfi-lə-ˌgrē How to pronounce filigree (audio)
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 filigreeJack Beatty

Illustration of filigree

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
There were filigrees of wildflowers, mysterious little tuna-belly creatures with mustard-seed eyes and microgreen antennae, and something that looked like a slice of black truffle but melted like butter. Pete Wells, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024 For all of the science-fiction filigree, the thrust of the series is emotional — especially, though not entirely, as regards Jo and Alice, who don’t quite recognize each other, and the family drama that Magnus completes. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024 Or surround an Ansel Adams photograph in ornate gold filigree? 2024 bang trends are all about matching your personality and mood. Loren Savini, Allure, 13 Dec. 2023 The ornaments, made with sequins, gems, stones and filigree, were handcrafted by San Diego artists Florence Hord and Elizabeth Schlappi, with the first of the collection created in the 1930s by Hord. The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Nov. 2023 The music is lean and nimble, with improvisatory guitar filigrees, leaping and slapping bass lines, darting accordion countermelodies and huffing brass-band chords, all delivered with pinpoint syncopation. Jon Pareles, New York Times, 22 June 2023 Her uncluttered prose was an answer to purple Victorian filigree, and her honesty about pioneering’s costs dismantled the oversimplified pieties of life on the prairie. Jeff MacGregor, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 June 2023 The Shang piece is surprisingly realistic but also elegantly decorative, covered in complex filigree. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2023 Springsteen’s plaintive guitar opening and scatty vocals, joined by Charlie Giordano’s keyboard filigree, were soon caught in a staccato blast of horns (trumpeters Curt Ramm and Barry Danielian, saxophonist Eddie Manion and trombonist Ozzie Melendez, aided by Clemons). Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2023
Verb
Two years and much ado later, Raghda serves lattes filigreed with milk art at a strip-mall coffee shop and Rafaa hosts community gatherings at an event space across the way. Vivian Yee, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2020 Another helpful move was using what Bugatti calls filigree side view mirrors, which let air pass through them. Alex Davies, WIRED, 19 Aug. 2019 In contrast to the historic skyscraper’s filigreed crown of flying buttresses and pinnacles, the top of the new one would consist of curving glass walls extending beyond the building’s occupied floors. Blair Kamin and Ryan Ori, chicagotribune.com, 16 Apr. 2018 The Mulsanne is a large luxury superliner of Bentley refinement and filigree that work flawlessly as luxurious separators from the competition, mainly the Rolls-Royce Phantom and Mercedes-Maybach S600. Mark Maynard, sandiegouniontribune.com, 11 Aug. 2017 St. Petersburg is a museum city, its gold-filigreed heart pulsing with tsarist palaces, Baroque churches, and Art Nouveau mansions. Sophie Pinkham, New Republic, 3 July 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'filigree.' 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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of filigree was in 1693

Dictionary Entries Near filigree

Cite this Entry

“Filigree.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/filigree. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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