maquette

noun ma·quette \ ma-ˈket \

Definition of maquette

:a usually small preliminary model (as of a sculpture or a building)

maquette was our Word of the Day on 08/16/2012. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of maquette from the Web

As a great side item, little maquettes of these scenes fill up another room.

— anne tschida, miamiherald, "Who says Miami’s art scene closes in summer? Shows at three spaces prove otherwise," 5 May 2017

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

Did You Know?

Maquette came to English directly from French, first appearing in our language in the late 19th century. The French word, which possesses the same meaning as its English descendant, derived from the Italian noun macchietta, meaning "sketch," and ultimately from Latin macula, meaning "spot." Maquettes are generally intended to serve as rough models of larger designs. Architects make maquettes of their buildings, and sculptors often create maquettes in wax or clay to help them realize the final sculpture. As an aside, you might spot something familiar in the word's Latin ancestor. The term "macula" in English refers to a spot (such as one on the eye) that is different from surrounding tissue; this is where we get the term "macular degeneration."