statuary

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈstæ.t͡ʃʊə.ɹi/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈstæ.t͡ʃu.ɛəɹi/

Etymology 1

From Latin statuāria (ars) (“(art) of sculpture”), feminine of the adjective statuārius (“of statues”).

Noun

statuary (uncountable)

1. The craft of making statues.
2. Statues considered collectively.

Translations

craft of making statues

• Bulgarian: ваятелство n (vajatelstvo), скулптура (bg) f (skulptura)
• Finnish: kuvanveisto (fi)
• French: statuaire (fr)
• German: Bildhauerkunst (de) f
• Greek: αγαλματοποιία (el) f (agalmatopoiía)
• Hungarian: szobrászat (hu)
• Russian: скульпту́ра (ru) f (skulʹptúra)

statues considered collectively

• Finnish: kuvapatsaat pl, veistokset pl
• French: statuaire (fr)
• Greek: αγάλματα (el) n pl (agálmata)

Etymology 2

From Latin statuārius (“maker of statues”).

Noun

statuary (plural statuaries)

1. A person who makes or deals in statues.

Translations

person who makes or deals in statues

• Bulgarian: ску́лптор (bg) m (skúlptor)
• Finnish: kuvanveistäjä (fi)
• French: statuaire (fr)
• Greek: αγαλματοποιός (el) m or f (agalmatopoiós)
• Hungarian: szobrász (makes) (hu) , műkereskedő (deals in statues) (hu)
• Russian: ску́льптор (ru) m (skúlʹptor)

Etymology 3

From the noun or the Latin adjective statuārius (“of statues”).

Adjective

statuary (comparative more statuary, superlative most statuary)

1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of statues.
   • 1655, [Hamon L’Estrange], The Reign of King Charles: An History Faithfully and Impartially Delivered and Disposed into Annals, London: […] E. C. for Edward Dod, and Henry Seile the younger, […], page 64:

     He [Francis Bacon] lyeth interred in the Church of St. Michael at St. Albans in Hartfordſhire, and hath there a fair ſtatuary monument erected for him of white Marble at the coſt of Sir Thomas Meautis, his ancient ſervant, who was not neerer to him living then dead: […]

   • 1862, James B[owen] Everhart, “Women”, in Miscellanies, West Chester, Pa.: Edward F. James, page 32:

     There is the lady’s own book, complete without a teacher—showing how the waist should be boddiced; the parasol handled; the statuary attitudes; the Parisian curtsy; the prettiest toss of the head, and swing of the train.

   • 2004, Keith A. Livers, “Lev Kassil’: The Soccer Match as Stalinist Ritual”, in Constructing the Stalinist Body: Fictional Representations of Corporeality in the Stalinist 1930s, Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books, The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc., →ISBN, page 168:

     Characteristically, the photo series ends with the trainer having successfully contorted the boy’s body into a classical, statuary pose, even as the boy forces a pained smile for the camera.