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

His past projects -- curated cabinets of curiosities, maquettes of childrens' rooms and artists' studios, a fallen tree rehousedin a robotic greenhouse -- delight in their aesthetic achievements.

— pelican bomb, NOLA.com, "Been wondering about that mysterious cottage on the Algiers Point levee?," 23 Jan. 2018
These are notes, maquettes, drawings and sketches, some of which have never been seen in public.

— anne tschida, miamiherald, "Frank Stella’s experiments changed American art. See them in Fort Lauderdale," 21 Dec. 2017
Visiting del Toro’s house one night, Hill noticed a maquette of a gilled man, which del Toro explained was for his new movie.

— katey rich, HWD, "How The Shape of Water’s Aquatic Beast Got So Sexy," 15 Dec. 2017
The creature started as a 3D maquette from creature designer Hee-Chul Jang, who envisioned Okja as weighing six tons, with a height of approximately eight feet, and measuring roughly 13 feet long.

— carolyn giardina, The Hollywood Reporter, "How 'Okja' Brought a Fantasy Animal to Life," 27 Nov. 2017
But the maquette in the show was newly constructed in 2015.

— roger catlin, Smithsonian, "This Former Soviet Art Duo Crafts Worlds of Whimsy and Delight," 18 Sep. 2017
Amid the show-stoppers will be hundreds of Laika artifacts: original sketches, small models called maquettes, storyboards outlining animation sequences, puppets and costumes.

— amy wang | the oregonian/oregonlive, OregonLive.com, "Laika, Portland Art Museum team up to take you behind the scenes of 4 Oscar-nominated films," 11 Oct. 2017
The Russian artist couple’s exhibition features more than 20 maquettes, or whimsical models, including architectural structures, allegorical narratives and commissioned outdoor works.

— carrie donovan, Washington Post, "Going Out Guide for the District, Sept. 7-13, 2017," 6 Sep. 2017
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."