conversation piece

noun

|Updated on: 21 May 2018

Examples: conversation piece in a Sentence

Definition of conversation piece

1 : a painting of a group of persons in their customary surroundings

2 : something (such as a novel or unusual object) that stimulates conversation

See conversation piece defined for English-language learners

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 of conversation piece from the Web

At one point in the discussion with Brown, the senator acknowledged that all of the ideas being discussed on stage would remain conversation pieces if Democrats fail again to deliver at the ballot.

— dan merica, CNN, "Democrats are running hard -- away from the Trump circus," 15 May 2018
For the bean-counters in New York, months of debate plus draft-day uncertainty helps sustain the NFL as a 12-month conversation piece.

— jacob feldman, SI.com, "Why No QB Has Emerged Atop the Draft Pack," 11 Apr. 2018
So was the bar’s main conversation piece: the toilet.

— esther mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, "Guerneville’s El Barrio a mescal oasis along the Russian River," 14 Feb. 2018
And largely because of the success down the road this season, the Cougars will have a new conversation piece when the Fertitta Center opens next season: an NCAA Tournament banner.

— joseph duarte, Houston Chronicle, "UH seeks undefeated record at home in regular-season finale vs. UConn," 3 Mar. 2018
The impact of this narrative led to some of early America’s most rigorous archaeology, as the quest to determine where these mounds came from became salacious conversation pieces for America’s middle and upper classes.

— sarah e. baires, Smithsonian, "White Settlers Buried the Truth About the Midwest’s Mysterious Mound Cities," 23 Feb. 2018
In the spirit of houses painted purple and crazed statuary on staid stucco, architect Andre Rothblatt conjured up a three-vehicle carport that’s also a conversation piece.

— john king, San Francisco Chronicle, "11 designs build on S.F. architecture," 31 Dec. 2017
Designers Adam Shulman and Heidi Nahser Fink are known for creating one-of-a-kind conversation pieces for their fine jewelry company, James Banks Design.

— lindzi scharf, latimes.com, "Designers behind James Banks Design label want to show that 'jewelry is a beautiful piece of poetry'," 1 Dec. 2017
Back to Three Lamps, Four Sassy Looks Welcome Mats Transform a tabletop item into a luminous conversation piece in a matter of minutes.

— jennifer jones, ELLE Decor, "Three Lamps, Four Sassy Looks," 5 July 2012

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