Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun An opaque to translucent blue, violet-blue, or greenish-blue semiprecious gemstone composed mainly of lazurite and calcite.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Min.) An albuminous mineral of a rich blue color; also called
lapis . Same aslazuli , which see.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun mineralogy A deep blue stone, used in making jewelry.
- noun A deep, bright
blue , like that of the stone. - adjective Of a deep, bright
blue , like that of the stone.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun an azure blue semiprecious stone
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin lapis lazulī : Latin lapis, stone + Medieval Latin lazulī, genitive of lazulum, lapis lazuli (from Arabic lāzaward, from Persian lājward).]
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Examples
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uselessness commented on the word lapis lazuli
I am modestly bugged by this. Lapis is one of the most beautiful words I know, but lazuli makes me heave. How does one reconcile the two?
March 2, 2007
chained_bear commented on the word lapis lazuli
I don't know. I kind of like the juxtaposition. I guess you could just call it lapis for short. Like a nickname. You don't call your friends by their full names all the time, do you? uselessness F. Corroborate?
March 2, 2007
reesetee commented on the word lapis lazuli
Oh no! One of those ubiquitous spam names! I have quite a collection of them, if I may say so.
u, does it help to know that lazuli (don't heave!) comes from the same root as azure? *That's* a nice word....
March 2, 2007
uselessness commented on the word lapis lazuli
How did you know my last name? Stalker!! Betcha don't know what the F. stands for. Wait, don't answer that. ;-)
reesetee: I do like azure. That helps. Can't we just call this lapis azure? Or maybe lapizure?
March 2, 2007
reesetee commented on the word lapis lazuli
Lapis azure, yes. Lapizure makes *me* heave.
March 2, 2007
uselessness commented on the word lapis lazuli
Hmm, come to think of it, it is a little too close phonetically to seizure, isn't it? Back to the drawing board.
March 2, 2007
reesetee commented on the word lapis lazuli
Wait, we could still salvage lapizure! Call it...let's see...the sound a dog makes while drinking water! Yeah, that's it. Lapizure.
March 2, 2007
uselessness commented on the word lapis lazuli
How about lapissouré?
March 2, 2007
reesetee commented on the word lapis lazuli
No thanks. It sounds like...well it sounds...never mind. I'll stick with lapis.
March 2, 2007
sionnach commented on the word lapis lazuli
Two Chinamen, behind them a third,
Are carved in lapis lazuli,
Over them flies a long-legged bird,
A symbol of longevity;
The third, doubtless a serving-man,
Carries a musical instrument.
from the poem lapis lazuli by W.B. Yeats.
personally, I like lapis lazuli as is. Maybe it's an Irish thing. yer mamma eats fauxtatoes, uselessness! :-}
March 2, 2007
uselessness commented on the word lapis lazuli
English: lapizure
French: lapissouré
Spanish: lapis azules
Italian: la pizzoli
German: das lupingöethas
Chinese: laiping xuliang
Pig Latin: pislay zuray
Redneck: that thar blue thang
March 2, 2007
reesetee commented on the word lapis lazuli
Yes! Yes to all!
March 2, 2007
bilby commented on the word lapis lazuli
Online Etymology Dictionary:
azure c.1325, from O.Fr. azur, false separation of Arabic lazaward "lapis lazuli," as though the -l- were the French article l'. The Arabic name is from Pers. lajward, from Lajward, a place in Turkestan, mentioned by Marco Polo, where the stone was collected.
December 7, 2007
ruzuzu commented on the word lapis lazuli
I think the Spanish version should be lápiz azul.
December 18, 2014