Al"a*bas"ter (&?;), n. [L. alabaster, Gr. &?;, said to be derived fr. Alabastron, the name of a town in Egypt, near which it was common: cf. OF. alabastre, F. albâtre.] 1. (Min.) (a) A compact variety or sulphate of lime, or gypsum, of fine texture, and usually white and translucent, but sometimes yellow, red, or gray. It is carved into vases, mantel ornaments, etc. (b) A hard, compact variety of carbonate of lime, somewhat translucent, or of banded shades of color; stalagmite. The name is used in this sense by Pliny. It is sometimes distinguished as oriental alabaster.

2. A box or vessel for holding odoriferous ointments, etc.; -- so called from the stone of which it was originally made. Fosbroke.

• (in present times) a fine-grained white or lightly-tinted variety of gypsum, used ornamentally
  
• (in ancient times) a variety of calcite