sculpture

noun sculp·ture \ ˈskəlp-chər \

Updated on: 10 Apr 2018

Definition of sculpture

1 a : 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

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Examples of sculpture in a Sentence

a sculpture of an elephant
an exhibit of African sculpture

Recent Examples of sculpture from the Web

The oldest item, and the subject of Mr MacGregor’s opening talk, is a mammoth-tusk sculpture called the Lion Man dating back to the Ice Age.

— The Economist, "Transcendental meditationNeil MacGregor on living with gods," 2 Nov. 2017
The stool in her daughter’s bedroom is a functional sculpture by Kueng Caputo.

— christopher bonanos, The Cut, "This 13-Year-Old Girl’s Suite Is Outfitted With a Warhol Print and a Laurie Simmons Dollhouse," 30 Oct. 2017
The outdoor sculptures were part of a Warhol exhibition at Colorado State University in 1981.

— jill wendholt silva, kansascity, "Seeking comfort food to warm up the cold nights? Tomato soup recipe is quick, easy," 24 Oct. 2017
After a major conservation program and careful pruning, the sculptures were fine this time.

— linda robertson, miamiherald, "Vizcaya cleans up after flooding; the mansion was “a rock” during Irma," 14 Sep. 2017
And also last month, up in Yonkers, someone beheaded a Columbus sculpture.

— jen kirby, Daily Intelligencer, "Vandals Went to Work on the Christopher Columbus Statue in Central Park," 12 Sep. 2017
But a few years ago, Leca, who was then the curator of European paintings, sculpture and drawings at Cincinnati Art Museum, began to study the still-life paintings of Paul Cézanne in the museum’s collection.

— janelle gelfand, Cincinnati.com, "'Rock star' curator talks about Cincinnati's Cézannes," 6 Sep. 2017
Elsewhere, artist Karyn Olivier covered a towering sculpture memorializing the 1777 Revolutionary War Battle of Germantown with mirrored plexiglass.

— natalie pompilio, The Seattle Times, "Philadelphia project seeks public reckoning with monuments," 4 Sep. 2017
The only monument about black soldiers in the Civil War for a century was the famous one in Boston, the Shaw Memorial, a sculpture by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, a magnificent monument in Boston Common.

— isaac chotiner, Slate Magazine, "How Should We Remember the Confederacy?," 9 May 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of sculpture

Middle English, from Latin sculptura, from sculptus, past participle of sculpere to carve, alteration of scalpere to scratch, carve

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First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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Other Fine Arts Terms

Gothic, baroque, bas-relief, limn, oeuvre, pastiche, rococo, sfumato

sculpture

verb

Definition of sculpture

sculptured; sculpturing play \ˈskəlp-chə-riŋ, ˈskəlp-shriŋ\

transitive verb

1 a : 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

Examples of sculpture in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of sculpture from the Web

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

First Known Use of sculpture

1645

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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sculpture Synonyms

Synonyms

carve, sculpt;

knap;

cast, form, model, mold, shape;

SCULPTURE Defined for English Language Learners

sculpture

noun

Definition of sculpture for English Language Learners

: a piece of art that is made by carving or molding clay, stone, metal, etc.
: the process or art of carving or molding clay, stone, metal, etc., into a sculpture