Main Entry:

¹mo·sa·ic

Pronunciation:

\mō-ˈzā-ik\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English musycke, from Medieval Latin musaicum, alteration of Late Latin musivum, from Latin museum, musaeum

Date:

15th century

1: a surface decoration made by inlaying small pieces of variously colored material to form pictures or patterns ; also : the process of making it2: a picture or design made in mosaic3: something resembling a mosaic <a mosaic of visions and daydreams and memories — Lawrence Shainberg>4: an organism or one of its parts composed of cells of more than one genotype : chimera 35: any of numerous virus diseases of plants characterized by diffuse light and dark green or yellow and green mottling of the foliage — compare tobacco mosaic virus6: a composite map made of photographs taken by an aircraft or spacecraft7: the part of a television camera tube consisting of many minute photoelectric particles that convert light to an electric charge

— mo·sa·ic·like \-ˈzā-ik-ˌlīk\ adjective