Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Alabaster \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. alb[^a]tre.]
   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      -- so called from the stone of which it was originally
      made.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.

Source : WordNet®

alabaster
     n 1: a compact fine-textured usually white gypsum used for
          carving
     2: a hard compact kind of calcite [syn: {oriental alabaster}, {onyx
        marble}, {Mexican onyx}]
     3: a very light white