topiary

noun to·pi·ary \ ˈtō-pē-ˌer-ē \

|Updated on: 9 Jun 2018

Examples: topiary in a Sentence

Definition of topiary

plural topiaries

1 a : a plant shaped by topiary art

b : topiary plants

2 : topiary art or gardening; also : a topiary garden

See topiary defined for English-language learners

Examples of topiary in a Sentence

a garden featuring topiaries and fountains

Recent Examples of topiary from the Web

With money and tourism, a sameness has begun to creep in, dull suburban paint jobs and topiaries, a homogenous Airbnb aesthetic flattening the contours.

— anne gisleson, Curbed, "Bywater faces its future," 23 May 2018
The pergola supports a wisteria vine and is surrounded by boxwood topiaries.

— sara tardiff, ELLE Decor, "40 Best Small Patio Ideas For Creating An Outdoor Entertaining Space," 9 Aug. 2017
The event featured life-size elephant topiaries, hundreds of pink blooms hanging from the ceiling and a list of typical mommy requests on the registry, as seen in this week’s issue of PEOPLE.

— dana rose falcone, PEOPLE.com, "Khloé Kardashian's Amazon Baby Registry Is Surprisingly Normal — See What Made Her List," 14 Mar. 2018
Ruby goes on vacation to Horfensnufen, Norway with her eccentric parents, topiary and tiara sculptors who embarrass her to no end by (among other things) playing miniature ping-pong on the plane and eating their food upside-down.

— randall de s, Redbook, "This Charming Children's Book Will Unleash Your "Inner Kooky"," 7 May 2013
Leading up to the main residence is a long, tiered water fountain lined with topiaries, and in the back is a lovely swimming pool—one of the first ever built in Ireland!—with terrace and a pool house.

— lauren ro, Curbed, "Restored 18th-century Irish estate can be yours for $9.2M," 16 Mar. 2018
This festival, which will be held from Feb. 28-May 28, is best known for the incredible topiaries and gardens.

— lauren delgado, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Menus released for Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival," 12 Feb. 2018
The reality star, who is expecting a baby girl with boyfriend Tristan Thompson, was joined at the affair by her sisters, close friends, endless pink flowers, and of course, topiaries of giraffes and elephants.

— lisa ryan, The Cut, "All About Khloé Kardashian’s Extravagant Baby Shower," 12 Mar. 2018
And the entrance area to World Showcase is populated by several butterfly topiaries.

— dewayne bevil, OrlandoSentinel.com, "First look: Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival for 2018," 28 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'topiary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of topiary

1904

in the meaning defined at sense 2

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

topiary

adjective

Definition of topiary

: 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

See topiary defined for kids

Recent Examples of topiary from the Web

Proud parades of topiary yews, surely once immaculate, have gone slightly shaggy.

— david usborne, Town & Country, "The Mysterious Case of the Parnham House Fire," 29 May 2018
From $3,440 a week; boutique-homes.com FOR MERLOT AND MAILLOT LOVERS Château Mireille The pool at this 18th-century bastide in Provence overlooks a formal topiary garden that’s as stately as the manor’s four floors filled with antiques and artwork.

— donna bulseco, WSJ, "6 Vacation Villas With Enviable Pools," 15 May 2018
There’s also a playground, a yew maze, Rose Garden, and topiary chess set.

— ellen scolnic, Philly.com, "Finding Anne Boleyn (and Henry VIII) at Hever Castle," 9 Feb. 2018
Private gates open to a boxwood topiary garden, and through the front door, a checkerboard marble foyer leads into more than 10,000 square feet of living space.

— jack flemming, latimes.com, "Sale of Smokey Robinson's former estate was Encino's chart-topper of 2017," 4 Jan. 2018

Origin and Etymology of topiary

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1592

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

TOPIARY Defined for English Language Learners

topiary

noun

Definition of topiary for English Language Learners

: plants (such as trees and bushes) that are cut or grown into decorative shapes; also : the art of shaping plants in this way
: a plant that is cut or grown into a decorative shape