Marquetry

//ˈmɑːkɪtɹi// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A decorative technique in which veneers of wood, ivory, metal etc. are inlaid into a wooden surface to form intricate designs. uncountable

    "strawen marquetry"

  2. 2
    inlaid veneers are fitted together to form a design or picture that is then used to ornament furniture wordnet
  3. 3
    An example of this work. countable

    "Unkind people asserted that everything in his apartment was for sale and that after he had invited wealthy Americans for an excellent lunch, with vintage wines, one or two of his valuable drawings would disappear, or a marquetry commode would be replaced by one in lacquer."

Synonyms

All synonyms
checkcheckerboardharlequinmarqueteriemosaicparquet

Example

More examples

"The old lutes, spinets, viols, dulcimers, &c., are not only elegant in shape but are also often tastefully ornamented with carvings, designs in marquetry, and painting."

Etymology

From Middle French marqueterie.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.