(ˈfɪlɪˌɡriː), filagree or fillagree or filigrain (ˈfɪlɪˌɡreɪn)
noun
1.
delicate ornamental work of twisted gold, silver, or other wire
2.
any fanciful delicate ornamentation
adjective
3.
made of or as if with filigree
verbWord forms: -grees, -greeing or -greed
4. (transitive)
to decorate with or as if with filigree
Derived forms
filigreed (ˈfiliˌgreed)
adjective
Word origin
C17: from earlier filigreen, from French filigrane, from Latin fīlum thread + grānumgrain
filigrain in American English
(ˈfɪlɪˌɡrein)
noun
filigree
Also: filigrane
Word origin
[1660–70; ‹ F filigrane watermark, filigree ‹ It filigrana ‹ L fīli-, comb. form of fīlum thread + grāna, pl. of grānum grain]This word is first recorded in the period 1660–70. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: adhesive, aspirate, indicator, mainstream, vocalize