silhouette

¹sil·hou·ette

noun \ˌsi-lə-ˈwet\

Definition of SILHOUETTE

1

: a likeness cut from dark material and mounted on a light ground or one sketched in outline and solidly colored in

2

: the outline of a body viewed as circumscribing a mass <the silhouette of a bird>

Examples of SILHOUETTE

1. the silhouettes of buildings against the sky
2. The buildings appeared in silhouette against the sky.
3. My piano teacher has a framed silhouette of Mozart on her wall.
4. a portrait of my mother done in silhouette
5. He admired the sports car's sleek silhouette.

Origin of SILHOUETTE

French, from Étienne de Silhouette †1767 French controller general of finances; perhaps from his ephemeral tenure

First Known Use: 1783

Related to SILHOUETTE

Synonyms: contour, figure, outline

Related Words: delineation, sketch; profile, skyline; cast, configuration, conformation, form, geometry, shape; framework, skeleton

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See Synonym Discussion at outline

Other Fine Arts Terms

Gothic, baroque, bas-relief, limn, oeuvre, pastiche, rococo, sfumato

Rhymes with SILHOUETTE

aiguillette, alphabet, anisette, avocet, banneret, basinet, bassinet, bayonet, bobbinet, bouncing bet, briolette, burgonet, calumet, canzonet, castanet, cellarette, chemisette, cigarette, clarinet, Cook Inlet, coronet, corselet, dragonet, dresser set, electret, en brochette, epaulet, Ethernet, etiquette, falconet, farmerette, featurette, flageolet, flannelette, great egret, guillemet, heavyset, jaconet, Joliet, Juliet, kitchenette, landaulet, lanneret, launderette, leatherette, luncheonette, maisonette, majorette, marmoset, marquisette, martinet, mignonette, minaret, minuet, miquelet, netiquette, novelette, oubliette, parapet, paupiette, photoset, pirouette, plasma jet, quodlibet, rondelet, safety net, satinet, scilicet, sermonette, serviette, sobriquet, solleret, somerset, Somerset, soviet, space cadet, spinneret, statuette, stockinette, suffragette, superjet, swimmeret, taboret, teacher's pet, thermoset, towelette, trebuchet, tricolette, triple threat, underlet, usherette, vinaigrette, wagonette, web-offset