LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinesecond declension

alabaster

alabaster m (genitive alabastrī)
Classical[a.ɫaˈbas.tɛr]Ecclesiastical[a.laˈbas.ter]

Meaning

  1. masculinea box, tapering to a point at the top, for perfumes or unguents

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativealabasteralabastrī
alabasterī, alabastra
genitivealabastrī
alabasterī		alabastrōrum
dativealabastrōalabastrīs
accusativealabastrumalabastrōs
alabastra
ablativealabastrōalabastrīs
vocativealabasteralabastrī
alabasterī, alabastra

ălăbaster, tri, m. (plur. also ălăba-stra, n.), = ἀλάβαστρος, plur. -ρα.
I. A box or casket for perfumes, tapering to a point at the top, a box for unguents: alabaster plenus unguenti, * Cic. Ac. Post. ap. Non. 545, 15: mulier habens alabastrum unguenti, Vulg. Matt. 26, 7; ib. Marc. 14, 3; ib. Luc. 7, 37: redolent alabastra, Mart. 11, 8, 9; Plin. 13, 2, 3, § 19.—Hence,
II. The form of a rose-bud, pointed at the top: in virides alabastros fastigato, Plin. 21, 4, 10, § 14.

Origins

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἀλάβαστρος (alábastros), from earlier ἀλάβαστος (alábastos, “vase without handles for storing perfumes”).

Descendants
  • Catalanalabastre
  • Englishalabaster
  • Italianalabastro
  • Frenchalbâtrefrom Old French alabastre
  • Portuguesealabastro
  • Romanianalabastru
  • Spanishalabastro
  • Irishalbastarfrom English alabaster
  • Polishalabasterfrom Old Polish alabastyr
  • Polishalabastrfrom Old Polish alabastyr

Quick answers

What does alabaster mean in Latin?
alabaster, a noun, means “a box, tapering to a point at the top, for perfumes or unguents”.
What is the genitive of alabaster?
The genitive singular is alabastrī. alabaster is masculine, second declension.
How do you pronounce alabaster?
In classical Latin, [a.ɫaˈbas.tɛr]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [a.laˈbas.ter].