sculpture

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noun sculp·ture \ ˈskəlp-chər \

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

See sculpture defined for English-language learners

See sculpture defined for kids

Examples of sculpture in a Sentence

a sculpture of an elephant
an exhibit of African sculpture

Recent Examples of sculpture from the Web

A variety of art will be shown ranging from oil painting, watercolors, photography and mixed media to new media and classical and contemporary sculpture.

— linda mcintosh, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Art fair returns to Carlsbad for 19th year," 11 Aug. 2017
On the main drag, Trump’s club leads to the local library, a red brick building with a garden and giraffe sculpture in the back, a few pizza places, a deli, some gas stations, and florists.

— emily jane fox, The Hive, "Fear and Loathing in Bedminster: On the Ground in the Quiet, Bucolic Town Where Donald Trump Is Toying with Blowing Up the World," 10 Aug. 2017
Through October 1, check out the annual sculpture exhibition that graces the grounds.

— blaine and birch bay, The Seattle Times, "10 ways to feel like a kid again on your summer getaway," 3 Aug. 2017
Avant-garde art spaces were destroyed, including the anarchist sculpture garden Gas Station/Space 2B (at Second Street and Avenue B), evicted by a 900 percent rent increase.

— jeremiah moss, Longreads, "Mourning the Low-Rent, Weirdo-Filled East Village of Old," 24 July 2017
Sculpture is inherently participatory, closer to the real, living world than painting.

— The Economist, "Alexander Calder made time a sculptural medium," 22 July 2017
What happens if one entrepreneur wants to put in a runway right where someone else has made another ice sculpture of Donald Trump?

— peter coy, Bloomberg.com, "The New Antarctic Iceberg Is Big Enough for Runways, Water Mines, and Crazy Dance Parties," 18 July 2017
Offbeat Sculpture Garden Sculpture gardens are like junk drawers: Seems like everybody—the Hammer, the Norton Simon, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art—has one.

— marielle wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, "Best of LA: 92 of Our Favorite Things to Eat, Do, and Buy Right Now," 14 July 2017
Lawn games, badminton and a sculpture park stroll fuel your appetite.

— kansascity, "6 summer spots to enjoy food trucks in KC," 11 July 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

See Words from the same year

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

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

sculpture Synonyms

Synonyms

carve, sculpt

Related Words

chisel, engrave, etch, grave, incise, inscribe; knap; cast, form, model, mold, shape

SCULPTURE Defined for English Language Learners

sculpture

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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

SCULPTURE Defined for Kids

sculpture

play

noun sculp·ture \ ˈskəlp-chər \

Definition of sculpture for Students

1 :the action or art of making statues by carving or chiseling (as in wood or stone), by modeling (as in clay), or by casting (as in melted metal)

2 :a work of art produced by sculpture

sculpture

verb

Definition of sculpture for Students

sculptured; sculpturing

:to make (a work of art) by shaping (as stone, wood, or metal)

Learn More about sculpture

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sculpture Spanish Central: Translation of sculpture Nglish: Translation of sculpture for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sculpture for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sculpture

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sculpture

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SCULPTURE Defined for English Language Learners

sculpture

Definition of sculpture for English Language Learners

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sculpture

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