topiary
noun
to·pi·ary
| \ ˈtō-pē-ˌer-ē
\
\
plural topiaries
Definition of topiary
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: a plant shaped by topiary art
b
: topiary plants
2
: topiary art or gardening
also
: a topiary garden
topiary
adjectiveDefinition of topiary (Entry 2 of 2)
: 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
Examples of topiary in a Sentence
Noun
a garden featuring topiaries and fountainsRecent Examples on the Web: Noun
The garden features rhododendrons, roses, canna, hostas, shade plants and varieties of shrubs, topiaries and trees. — cleveland.com, "Clint Williams leaves a legacy of “grand” genuineness: Olmsted Dates and Data," 8 Sep. 2019 The dreamscape scenes include topiaries, columns, and the occasional petit four. — Vogue, "Kirsten Dunst, Gabrielle Union, Lili Reinhart, King Princess, and More Star in Rodarte’s Spring Lookbook," 4 Sep. 2019 Many species of evergreens have been used for topiary. — Washington Post, "Topiary tips: When you want shrubs to double as sculpture," 30 July 2019 Master topiary sculptress Jennifer Coburn, of Elfin Forest, began the project last November with images of California Chrome and Justify in her mind. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Fast horses, racy hats and peaceful protesters mark the opening of Del Mar," 17 July 2019 In the first episode, Logan summons all his progeny to a meeting at his Hamptons house, where topiary is duly uncovered, Egyptian-cotton sheets laundered, and lobsters boiled for the family’s return. — Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, "Succession Is Better Than Ever," 11 Aug. 2019 For example, in 2018, striking crimson topiary trees lined the east colonnade as gingerbread replicas of the Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, Washington Monument, and the White House were on display. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Melania Trump Is Already Working on This Year's White House Christmas Decorations," 25 July 2019 The imaginative garden vibe also includes an oversize checkerboard for games, a curvy bench encircling a crape myrtle tree, and colorful, oversize mushroom sculptures and spiral topiaries. — Washington Post, "From Zen to zany, backyards with style and personality," 23 July 2019 In 2009, Perot found out that Hillwood had a chorus line of 12-foot-tall, naked-lady fake topiaries that stood atop 4-foot pedestals and were stashed in his son’s warehouse. — Cheryl Hall, Dallas News, "Remembering Ross Perot: Dallas' doyennes discovered green goddesses in their gardens," 11 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
His 1950s-era triplex is camouflaged by noirish vegetation — giant birds of paradise, fan palms, topiary bushes chain-sawed into vaguely menacing amoebic forms. — Peter Haldeman, Los Angeles Times, "He may hate the word ‘buzz,’ but Los Angeles magazine editor Maer Roshan is creating it," 5 Sep. 2019 Most young topiary plants that are still in their formative stage need nothing more than frequent shearing or clipping off of the ends of stems in order to encourage dense branching. — Washington Post, "Topiary tips: When you want shrubs to double as sculpture," 30 July 2019 Blue skies and balmy temperatures greeted attendees to the market, which featured produce, perennial flowers and topiary plants, among other offerings. — Karie Angell Luc, chicagotribune.com, "Morton Grove farmers' market kicks off for the year," 11 June 2019 The craft of topiary dates to at least ancient Rome. — Cynthia Kling, WSJ, "Laid-Back Topiary for Your Winter Windowsill," 12 Oct. 2018 There's even a topiary version of Tick-Tock the Crocodile, for lovers of Disney's 1953 animated film. — Heather Finn, Good Housekeeping, "The Dallas Arboretum Uses 100,000 Pumpkins to Build Its Annual Fall Village," 12 Oct. 2018 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. 2018These 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.
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More Definitions for topiary
topiary
noun
English Language Learners Definition of topiary
: 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