collage

noun col·lage \ kə-ˈläzh , kȯ- , kō- \

Definition of collage

1 a :an artistic composition made of various materials (such as paper, cloth, or wood) glued on a surface

cut pictures from magazines to make a collage

b :a creative work that resembles such a composition in incorporating various materials or elements

the album is a collage of several musical styles

2 :the art of making collages

an artist known for her use of collage

3 :hodgepodge

a collage of ideas

4 :a work (such as a film) having disparate scenes in rapid succession without transitions

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collage

transitive verb

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collagist

play \kə-ˈlä-zhist, kȯ-, kō-\ noun

See collage defined for English-language learners

See collage defined for kids

Examples of collage in a Sentence

We made collages in art class.
an artist known for her use of collage
The album is a collage of several musical styles.

Recent Examples of collage from the Web

A Palestinian activist holds a collage showing of U.S. President Donald Trump during a protest against the visit of U.S delegation in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017.

— Washington Post, "Kushner’s Mideast peace push met with Palestinian skepticism," 24 Aug. 2017
The registers’ surrounding cash wrap, which is intended to recall the worn texture of the saddles, boots and jackets worn by 19th-century ranchers, is made from a collage of rugged, leather remnants woven into a patchwork pattern.

— courtney ortega, star-telegram, "West Elm finally sets up shop in Fort Worth. Here’s a preview of the new West 7th store," 17 Aug. 2017
Photographic proof hangs in crowded collage form of adorable baby pics all over Scalini’s walls.

— rosemary counter, Bon Appetit, "This Eggplant Parm Is Famous for Inducing Labor," 7 Aug. 2017
Then, hop over to the adjoining Shard Shop to create your own glass collage piece.

— tara massouleh, AL.com, "Get away with the girls at this beachfront resort," 4 Aug. 2017
Mr. Maillot sets his ballet to a collage of music by Dmitri Shostakovich (the best part of the show).

— alastair macaulay, New York Times, "Review: In Bolshoi’s Ballet, No Shrew to Tame," 27 July 2017
Brig’s paintings and collages have the same quirky spirit.

— michael upchurch, The Seattle Times, "Strange critters: In July, Seattle art galleries contain menageries," 11 July 2017
Both video collages include original audio from Elise's biological father's funeral earlier this year and a mix of original and sourced 35mm photographs.

— shammara lawrence, Teen Vogue, "Artist Elise R. Peterson Makes Video Collages Informed by "A Seat At The Table"," 28 June 2017
Kris Van Stockum is a Deerfield resident who creates mixed media pieces in water color, oil pastel and collage.

— steve sadin, chicagotribune.com, "Deerfield accepting applications for public art program," 26 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'collage.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of collage

French, literally, gluing, from coller to glue, from colle glue, from Vulgar Latin *colla, from Greek kolla

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1919

See Words from the same year

collage Synonyms

Synonyms

agglomerate, agglomeration, alphabet soup, assortment, botch, clutter, miscellany, crazy quilt, farrago, gallimaufry, grab bag, gumbo, hash, hodgepodge, hotchpotch, jambalaya, jumble, jungle, litter, macédoine, medley, mélange, menagerie, miscellanea, mishmash, mixed bag, montage, motley, muddle, olio, olla podrida, omnium-gatherum, pastiche, patchwork, patchwork quilt, potpourri, ragbag, ragout, rummage, salad, salmagundi, scramble, shuffle, smorgasbord, stew, tumble, variety, welter

Other Fine Arts Terms

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

COLLAGE Defined for English Language Learners

collage

noun

Definition of collage for English Language Learners

: a work of art that is made by attaching pieces of different materials (such as paper, cloth, or wood) to a flat surface
: the art or method of making collages
: a collection of different things