sculpture

noun

sculp·ture | \ˈskəlp-chər

Definition of sculpture

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : the action or art of processing (as by carving, modeling, or welding) plastic or hard materials into works of art

b(1) : work produced by sculpture

(2) : a three-dimensional work of art (such as a statue)

2 : impressed or raised markings or a pattern of such especially on a plant or animal part

sculpture

verb

sculptured; sculpturing\ˈskəlp-chə-riŋ,

ˈskəlp-shriŋ \

Definition of sculpture (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to form an image or representation of from solid material (such as wood or stone)

b : to form into a three-dimensional work of art

2 : to change (the form of the earth's surface) by natural processes (such as erosion and deposition)

3 : to shape by or as if by carving or molding

intransitive verb

: to work as a sculptor

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about sculpture

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Examples of sculpture in a Sentence

Noun

a sculpture of an elephant an exhibit of African sculpture

Verb

the artist used a hammer and chisel to sculpture the horse out of ice

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The hope is that the posters, which feature Scottsdale residents of different genders, abilities and races in front of the city's iconic LOVE sculpture, will be placed in storefront windows and change perceptions about the city. — Zahra Ahmad, azcentral, "'Scottsdale for All' hopes to spread inclusiveness," 13 July 2018 Headless Horseman Statue The 18-foot high sculpture on a small grass island in the middle of Route 9 shows the horseman chasing Ichabod Crane on horseback. — Sienna Fantozzi, House Beautiful, "The Best Things To Do In Sleepy Hollow On Halloween," 9 July 2018 Explore art and nature in the beauty of living sculptures on display. — Elaine Rewolinski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "A listing of home and garden events for the Milwaukee area (Summer 2018 edition)," 4 July 2018 By the 16th century cardinals and other antiquarians began to take an interest in the sculpture that occasionally turned up in these plots of land. — Greg Woolf, WSJ, "‘Rome: A History in Seven Sackings’ Review: The City That Survived," 29 June 2018 Last week saw the installation of 40 totemic sculptures by Zak Ové, a British Trinidadian artist, that will be on display through November. — John King, SFChronicle.com, "Civic Center makeover: Here’s the plan to revamp the heart of SF," 29 June 2018 The Winged Figures of the Republic are the most striking sculptures — tall angular bronzes framing an American flag —but there are plenty of other artistic flourishes. — Roger Naylor, azcentral, "Hoover Dam: Tours, sightseeing and how to get there from Las Vegas and Phoenix," 23 May 2018 The sculptures hew to the simplicity of the roadside stack, but Loesberg’s drawings show the Jersey barriers willy-nilly, in a variety of much more inefficient configurations. — Susan Dunne, courant.com, "An Eye For 'The Built Environment' Fuels Exhibit At Real Art Ways," 14 July 2018 Placing the sculptures underwater gives viewers a different perspective. — Kayla Fitzgerald, sacbee, "Take a deep dive into this Underwater Art Museum that opened this summer," 13 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

What is the significance of sharing art and specifically sculpture outside? — Trevor Fraser, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Local artist donates sculpture for auction to aid Wells'Built Museum," 3 Apr. 2018 A life-size cow sculptured from butter has been a tradition at the Ohio State Fair since the early 1900s. — Polly Campbell, Cincinnati.com, "Ohio's 2017 butter sculpture: In living color," 25 July 2017 Two round medallions that stud this one-of-a-kind Makassar ebony pendant are sculptured from gold. — Nancy Hass, New York Times, "T Magazine Newsletter," 10 Nov. 2016

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