mosaic

1 of 4

noun

mo·​sa·​ic mō-ˈzā-ik How to pronounce mosaic (audio)
1
: a surface decoration made by inlaying small pieces of variously colored material to form pictures or patterns
also : the process of making it
2
: a picture or design made in mosaic
3
: something resembling a mosaic
a mosaic of visions and daydreams and memoriesLawrence Shainberg
4
: an organism or one of its parts composed of cells of more than one genotype : chimera sense 3
5
: any of numerous virus diseases of plants characterized by diffuse light and dark green or yellow and green mottling of the foliage compare tobacco mosaic virus
6
: a composite map made of photographs taken by an aircraft or spacecraft
7
: the part of a television camera tube consisting of many minute photoelectric particles that convert light to an electric charge
mosaiclike adjective

mosaic

2 of 4

adjective (1)

1
: of, relating to, produced by, or resembling a mosaic
2
: exhibiting mosaicism
3
mosaically adverb

mosaic

3 of 4

verb

mosaicked; mosaicking

transitive verb

1
: to decorate with mosaics
2
: to form into a mosaic

Mosaic

4 of 4

adjective (2)

Mo·​sa·​ic mō-ˈzā-ik How to pronounce Mosaic (audio)
: of or relating to Moses or the institutions or writings attributed to him
lived under the Mosaic Law

Examples of mosaic in a Sentence

Noun a church decorated with old mosaics a picture done in mosaic
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The pool deck buzzed with excitement as swimmers donned their school colors, creating a vibrant mosaic of unity. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 13 Feb. 2024 Wu has been refining her method for years, building mosaics of paint shards atop surfaces whose contrasting colors are visible through gaps, usually but not always tiny. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 To really absorb the different shapes and structures of galaxies, JWST just released a mosaic of 19 different galaxies. Dean Regas, The Enquirer, 2 Mar. 2024 Here are some positive and negative trends on defense that are creating the mosaic of the Warriors’ season at the midway point. Jannelle Moore, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024 Classic Hex or Penny Mosaic Tiles Contemporary iterations of this classic mosaic are flooding the decorating scene right now, thanks to its retro appeal and easy installation. Shivani Vyas, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Jan. 2024 Today's consumers hail from a mosaic of cultural, social, and economic backgrounds, each with unique needs, preferences, and expectations. Jia Rizvi, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 DJed by Shaun Ross and in partnership with The Prizm Group, the subterranean dance party had Gurung and friends on the dancefloor underneath a mosaic of disco balls. Vogue, 10 Feb. 2024 The Milanese architects Antonio Citterio and Patricia Viel retained many of the decorative features found in Morpurgo’s original building, including mosaics depicting Roman myths splashed several stories high across the facade. Laura May Todd, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2024
Adjective
The 4,000th mosaic was glued to a brick wall in Potosi, 4,000 meters (13,100 feet) up in the Bolivian Andes, in 2021. John Leicester, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Mar. 2024 Worley worked on the mosaic as an intern in 1969 and restored the mosaic after it was taken down from the Home Savings and Loan in Santa Monica. Heather McRea, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 Automakers will have to navigate that mosaic of demand, technology, features and price. Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 10 Jan. 2024 Parts of the Alcázar are being restored, but visitors can see the gardens as well as galleries with large sections of Roman mosaic floors discovered around town and now hung like pictures on the walls. Andrew Ferren, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2023 Bathers sit on stone slabs under mosaic tiles, lather with traditional black soap and wash with scalding water from plastic buckets. Sam Metz, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024 The bathrooms are decked with in mosaic tiles with marble sinks on rosewood, glass, and steel vanities. Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 26 Feb. 2024 On the ground floor, Restaurant Rochechouart’s swirly mosaic floor of Art Deco style tiles leads guests into breakfast, and back for lunch and dinner with locals. Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Days after setting a Guinness World Record for largest gummy candy mosaic, gummy maker Haribo of America is expanding its footprint in Kenosha County. Ricardo Torres, Journal Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mosaic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English musycke, from Medieval Latin musaicum, alteration of Late Latin musivum, from Latin museum, musaeum

Adjective (2)

New Latin Mosaicus, from Moses Moses

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective (1)

1585, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1770, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective (2)

1632, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mosaic was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near mosaic

Cite this Entry

“Mosaic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mosaic. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mosaic

noun
mo·​sa·​ic
mō-ˈzā-ik
1
: a decoration on a surface made by setting small pieces of glass, tile, or stone of different colors into another material so as to make pictures or patterns
2
: the process of making mosaics
3
: something resembling a mosaic
especially : a virus disease of plants characterized by mottling of the foliage
mosaic adjective

Medical Definition

mosaic

1 of 2 noun
mo·​sa·​ic mō-ˈzā-ik How to pronounce mosaic (audio)
: an organism or one of its parts composed of cells of more than one genotype : chimera

mosaic

2 of 2 adjective
1
: exhibiting mosaicism
2
mosaically adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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