Illustration of filigree
- filigree 2a
fil·i·gree
ˈfi-lə-ˌgrē 
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 filigree—
Jack Beatty
Jack Beatty
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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
Mac Margolis, NPR, 12 May 2024
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
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
See all Example Sentences for filigree 
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Noun
Locals call their hometown the Venice of the Amazon, because of its filigree of waterways and the fleet of boats that ply them.
—Mac Margolis, NPR, 12 May 2024
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
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
See all Example Sentences for filigree
Dictionary Entries Near filigree
Cite this Entry
“Filigree.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/filigree. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
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