silhouette, n. View as: Outline | Full entry Quotations: Show all | Hide all Pronunciation: /sɪluːˈɛt/ Etymology: < the name of Étienne de Silhouette (1709–67), a French author and politician. ... (Show More) 1. Thesaurus » Categories » a. A portrait obtained by tracing the outline of a profile, head, or figure by means of its shadow or in some other way, and filling in the whole with black; an outline portrait cut out of black paper; a figure or picture drawn or printed in solid black.Details within the outline are sometimes indicated by white or gold lines. For an account of various methods employed in obtaining such portraits or pictures, see the Penny Cycl. XXII. 8. 1798 W. Taylor in Monthly Rev. 27 388 At best but the shadow of a shade,..the silhouette of a bust. 1801 H. Fuseli Lect. Painting I. i. 9 Skiagrams, simple outlines of a shade, similar to those which have been introduced to vulgar use by the students and parasites of Physiognomy, under the name of Silhouettes. 1806 J. Beresford Miseries Human Life I. xii. 319 Whenever they send me their silouettes, or what do they call them, I chuck them out of the window. 1860 Thackeray Lovel ii, She had..silhouettes of her father and mother..hung up in the lodgings. 1880 Print. Trades Jrnl. xxx. 40 The beauty of silhouettes (pictures printed in solid black) depends upon two things—artistic ability and careful printing. attrib. 1835 (title) , Treatise on Silhouette Likenesses, by Monsieur Edouart, Silhouettist to the French Royal Family. 1842 R. H. Barham Auto-da-fé in Ingoldsby Legends 2nd Ser. 81 A garment..stuck thick With multiplied silhouette profiles of Nick. 1895 Daily News 1 May 6/4 The archaic, dry, and silhouette style of the picture. (Hide quotations) Thesaurus » b.fig. A slight verbal sketch or description in outline of a person, etc. 1819 Lady Morgan Passages from Autobiogr. (1859) 313 The barons silhouette of the Lady of Copet..was certainly very amusing. a1855 C. Brontë Professor (1857) I. iii. 40 The silhouette I have just thrown off. 1894 J. Knight D. Garrick xvii. 311 Actors..of whom Pepys has given us silhouettes, and Colley Cibber portraits. (Hide quotations) 2. Thesaurus » a. A dark outline, a shadow in profile, thrown up against a lighter background. 1843 Thackeray Irish Sketch-bk. II. xiii. 233 Ghostly-looking silhouettes. 1847 C. Brontë Jane Eyre III. ii. 65 Entering the gate and passing the shrubs, the silhouette of a house rose to view; black, low, and rather long. 1866 J. G. Whittier Snow-bound 167 The cats dark silhouette on the wall. 1887 H. R. Haggard Allan Quatermain xvi. 225, I saw the black silhouette of the old Zulu raise its arm in mute salute. (Hide quotations) Thesaurus » Categories » b. The contour or outline of a garment. 1920 Glasgow Herald 27 Nov. 4 The silhouette of this season is..much more attractive than that last year approved by Dame Fashion. 1920 Glasgow Herald 4 Dec. 4 See that you preserve the silhouette of the gown. 1978 Country Life 17 Aug. 472/1 The new silhouette..is straight, narrow and short, with well defined, padded shoulders. (Hide quotations) Thesaurus » Categories » 3.en (or in) silhouette , in outline, in profile. 1832 J. P. Kennedy Swallow Barn (1860) 18 At that hour nature draws her pictures en silhouette. 1886 Illustr. London News 6 Feb. 142/2, I shall be presented to you en silhouette, all black, and you will be required to recognise the portrait. 1889 Harpers Weekly XXXIII. Suppl. 60 This framing of trees, which stand out in silhouette against a bright blue sky. silhouette, n.. OED Online. December 2013. Oxford University Press. 7 March 2014 .
Posted on: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 14:33:39 +0000
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