Meanings
- not comparableOf, or relating to art of topiaries.
As the topiary art has been allowed to practically die out, it is difficult to secure the services of skilled clippers.
1910, American homes and gardens: Volume 7 - not comparableOf a tree or shrub, trimmed in artistic shape.
plural topiaries
- uncountableArt or practice of trimming shrubs or trees in artistic or ornamental shapes, e.g. of animals.
The palace garden might have had a semblance of coolness had there been any trees, but the tallest things were fanciful topiary, tortured into the shapes of running horses or bears performing tumblers’ tricks or the like.
1994, Robert Jordan, Lord of Chaos, prologue - countableA garden decorated with such art.
- countableOne such shrub or tree.
We have topiaries for sale.
Origin
- Ancient Greekτόπιον“field, landscape”
- Ancient Greekτόπια“artistic representation in which natural or artificial features of a place are used as the medium”
- Latintopia“ornamental gardening, landscape painting”
- Latintopiarius“of or relating to ornamental gardening; an ornamental garden, an ornamental gardener”
- Englishtopiary
From Latin topiarius (“of or relating to ornamental gardening; an ornamental garden, an ornamental gardener”), from Latin topia (“ornamental gardening, landscape painting”), from Ancient Greek τόπια (tópia, “artistic representation in which natural or artificial features of a place are used as the medium”), plural of Ancient Greek τόπιον (tópion, “field, landscape”), from τόπος (tópos, “place”). The adjective use dates to 1592, the noun use dates to 1908.
More words from Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan art topiària
- art topiàriaart or practice
Czech tvarování keřů a stromů
- tvarování keřů a stromůart or practice
Finnish muotoonleikkaus-, muotoonleikattu
- muotoonleikkaus-relating to the art of topiaries
- muotoonleikattutrimmed in artistic shape
- muotoonleikkausart or practice
- muotoonleikattu pensasshrub
French topiaire, topiaire
- topiairerelating to the art of topiaries
- topiaireshrub
German Formschnittgärtnerei
- Formschnittgärtnereiart or practice
Greek φυτογλυπτικός, φυτογλυπτική
- φυτογλυπτικός (fytoglyptikós)relating to the art of topiaries
- φυτογλυπτική (fytoglyptikí)relating to the art of topiaries
- φυτογλυπτικό (fytoglyptikó)relating to the art of topiaries
- κηπογλυπτικός (kipoglyptikós)relating to the art of topiaries
- κηπογλυπτική (kipoglyptikí)relating to the art of topiaries
- κηπογλυπτικό (kipoglyptikó)relating to the art of topiaries
- φυτογλυπτική (fytoglyptikí)art or practice
- κηπογλυπτική (kipoglyptikí)art or practice
- φυτόγλυπτο (fytóglypto)shrub
Irish tordhearadh
- tordhearadhart or practice
Welsh tocweithiol, tocwaith
- tocweithiolrelating to the art of topiaries
- tocwaithart or practice
Cite this entry
topiary. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/topiary
“topiary.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/topiary. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “topiary,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/topiary.
Source: topiary on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.