mosaic

¹mo·sa·ic

noun \mō-ˈzā-ik\

Definition of MOSAIC

1

: a surface decoration made by inlaying small pieces of variously colored material to form pictures or patterns; also : the process of making it

2

: a picture or design made in mosaic

3

: 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 3

5

: 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 virus

6

: a composite map made of photographs taken by an aircraft or spacecraft

7

: 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

Examples of MOSAIC

1. a church decorated with old mosaics
2. a picture done in mosaic

Origin of MOSAIC

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

First Known Use: 15th century

Other Fine Arts Terms

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

Rhymes with MOSAIC

alcaic, Altaic, archaic, Chaldaic, deltaic, Hebraic, Incaic, Judaic, Mishnaic, Mithraic, Mosaic, Passaic, prosaic, Romaic, spondaic, stanzaic, trochaic, voltaic