sculpture

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noun sculp·ture \ˈskəlp-chər\

Definition of sculpture

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

Opening Friday; experience five of the artist’s immersive, multi-reflective Infinity Mirror Rooms and 60 works on paper, paintings and sculpture from the 1950s to the present, through Sept. 10, Seattle Art Museum, 1300 First Ave.

— madeline mckenzie, The Seattle Times, "Community calendar: festivals, fairs and more", 29 June 2017
Kara Walker does it in silhouette and sculpture; playwright Branden Jacob-Jenkins did it in his play An Octoroon; Ishmael Reed has done it in his novels; Dave Chappelle became a household name doing it.

— danielle jackson, Longreads, "Zadie Smith Takes on Black Pain With a Light Touch", 28 June 2017
Walk the landscaped eight Hidden Hill acres and check out their new sculpture show.

— kirby adams, The Courier-Journal, "Laid-back summer nights at Hidden Hill Nursery", 22 June 2017
Secret Hideaway: Tvísöngur: an amazing sculpture of concrete domes, seen as a visualization of the Icelandic five-tone-harmony musical tradition.

— vanityfair.com, VanityFair.com, "Explore Iceland with the Environmentalist David de Rothschild", 22 June 2017
Highlights include hundreds of photographs, a replica field with 12 bronze sculptures, a massive collection of baseball artifacts and a series of multimedia computer stations.

— dave skretta, The Seattle Times, "MLB, players’ union donate $1M to Negro Leagues museum in KC", 21 June 2017
Artist Tim Tingle has carved more than 30 sculptures in the park's old cedars, using dead or damaged trees as his canvas.

— mary colurso | mcolurso@al.com, AL.com, "93 days of summer in Alabama: Something to do every day", 20 June 2017
Every decade, Muenster, Germany transforms into a living sculpture park.

— kat herriman, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Five Best Art Shows This Summer", 10 June 2017
A public reception for the 36th annual Invitational Sculpture Exhibition.

— Washington Post, "What’s happening in Prince George's County", 8 June 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 sculp·ture

Definition of sculpture

sculptured

;

sculpturing

play \ˈskəlp-chə-riŋ, ˈskəlp-shriŋ\

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

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

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 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