conversation piece

noun

1
: a painting of a group of persons in their customary surroundings
2
: something (such as a novel or unusual object) that stimulates conversation

Examples of conversation piece in a Sentence

The exotic plant in our living room is a conversation piece that guests always ask about.
Recent Examples on the Web In the beauty world, there are seldom topics that are as big a conversation piece as Taylor Swift’s favorite lipstick. Michelle Lee, People.com, 1 Oct. 2024 From the record player holder to the anti-skid bottoms on the vinyl, these are some of the coolest, chicest conversation pieces for your home. Savannah Smith, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2024 Tully sees the trend as not just a self-sufficiency feature for homeowners, but as a conversation piece as well. Jamie Gold, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024 So perhaps in an effort to keep viewers interested at halftime, O’Neal pulled out quite the conversation piece. Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for conversation piece 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'conversation piece.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1712, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of conversation piece was in 1712

Dictionary Entries Near conversation piece

Cite this Entry

“Conversation piece.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conversation%20piece. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on conversation piece

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!