A soft, white, smooth stone used for sculptures and decorative objects; also describes anything pale and smooth like this stone.
From Old French and Latin 'alabaster,' ultimately from Greek 'alabastros.' The origin is unclear, possibly from an Egyptian place name or a description (the stone was especially worked in Egypt).
Alabaster was the Instagram of ancient times—pale, pure, and luxurious. Poets used it to describe women's skin for centuries, embedding class and beauty standards into a single material word!
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