diorama

noun di·ora·ma \ ˌdī-ə-ˈra-mə , -ˈrä- \

Updated on: 13 Apr 2018

Definition of diorama

1 : a scenic representation in which a partly translucent painting is seen from a distance through an opening

2 a : a scenic representation in which sculptured figures and lifelike details are displayed usually in miniature so as to blend indistinguishably with a realistic painted background

b : a life-size exhibit (as of a wildlife specimen or scene) with realistic natural surroundings and a painted background

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dioramic

play \-ˈra-mik\ adjective

See diorama defined for kids

Recent Examples of diorama from the Web

Dinosaur State Park and Arboretum, 400 West St. in Rocky Hill, has early Jurassic fossil tracks made 200 million years ago, as well as prehistoric dioramas and fossils.

— susan dunne, courant.com, "'Jurassic Giants' Invade Mystic Aquarium For Rest Of 2018," 6 Apr. 2018
Perhaps no local tech firm exemplifies the trend better than HubSpot, whose East Cambridge headquarters is like a life-sized diorama of the recent evolution of tech office design.

— andy rosen, BostonGlobe.com, "Not your parents’ office? Now it is: Tech workspaces start to grow up," 5 Apr. 2018
Instead one of the Menominee researchers constructed a diorama that included realistic trees, grass and rocks, as well as the original toy animals.

— jason g. goldman, Scientific American, "Culture Shapes How Children View the Natural World," 1 Apr. 2018
According to Just Born, nearly a third of Peeps products purchased aren't consumed, but are used for other purposes, like Peeps dioramas.

— jolie lee, USA TODAY, "Why egg hunts, bunnies and Peeps? Easter traditions explained," 31 Mar. 2018
Instead of diamond necklaces or rings, the boxes contain diorama-like scenes of heartbreak, such as refugees drowned along a rocky shore or bobbing in an overloaded boat.

— kelly crow, WSJ, "A Provocative New Space for Art Emerges in Virginia," 24 Mar. 2018
Eleven intricate dioramas outfitted with stationary and animatronic figures tell the story of Hindu scriptures.

— Los Angeles Magazine, "Have You Been to These Offbeat L.A. Museums?," 1 Mar. 2018
The museum also has a diorama highlighting efforts to allow black men to vote in Wisconsin.

— meg jones, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Key civil rights spots in Milwaukee," 23 Mar. 2018
Stop-motion, which requires an invisible, all-controlling hand to create the illusion of fluidity, was an intuitive medium for this most exacting of directors and his intricate, diorama-like sensibility.

— justin chang, latimes.com, "Wes Anderson's 'Isle of Dogs' is often captivating, but cultural sensitivity gets lost in translation," 21 Mar. 2018

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