alabaster

3 synonyms for alabaster, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A soft, fine-grained white or pale-tinted stone (a form of gypsum) often carved into ornaments and small sculptures.

Synonyms

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

onyx marble alabastrine oriental alabaster

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

A soft, fine-grained white or pale-tinted stone (a form of gypsum) often carved into ornaments and small sculptures.

“The museum's prize piece was a delicate alabaster vase carved centuries ago.”

onyx marble alabastrine oriental alabaster

2. adjective

Made of alabaster, or resembling it — smooth, pale, and faintly translucent.

“The poem described her alabaster skin glowing in the candlelight.”

alabastrine

How to use alabaster

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

an alabaster statue alabaster skin carved from alabaster

Etymology

From Old French alabastre, ultimately from Ancient Greek alabastros, a word for a handleless vase used to store perfume — possibly traced back to an Egyptian phrase referring to a vessel of the goddess Bast.

Full origin of alabaster →

Frequently asked questions

What does “alabaster” mean?

The word “alabaster” means a soft, fine-grained white or pale-tinted stone (a form of gypsum) often carved into ornaments and small sculptures. In plain terms, a soft white ornamental stone, or the pale, smooth quality that stone has.

How do you pronounce “alabaster”?

“Alabaster” is pronounced AL-uh-bahs-tuh (/ˈæl.əˌbæs.tɚ/ in IPA).

How do you use “alabaster” in a sentence?

Here is “alabaster” used in a sentence: “The museum's prize piece was a delicate alabaster vase carved centuries ago.”

What part of speech is “alabaster”?

Depending on how it is used, “alabaster” can be a noun and an adjective.

Where does the word “alabaster” come from?

The word “alabaster” comes from Ancient Greek. From Old French alabastre, ultimately from Ancient Greek alabastros, a word for a handleless vase used to store perfume — possibly traced back to an Egyptian phrase referring to a vessel of the goddess Bast.

How many meanings does “alabaster” have?

“Alabaster” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a soft, fine-grained white or pale-tinted stone (a form of gypsum) often carved into ornaments and small sculptures.

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