sculpture

noun sculp·ture \ ˈskəlp-chər \

|Updated on: 17 Jun 2018

Examples: sculpture in a Sentence

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

And still others mused on the advertised sculpture’s strong resemblance to Dr. Phill.

— janine puhak, Fox News, "Kraft's 'ultimate last-minute Father's Day gift' is a block of cheese made to look like your dad," 12 June 2018
The top five highest bidders will be contacted to provide a photo of their dad and the sculpture will arrive at your doorstep just in time for Father’s Day on June 17.

— jessica fecteau, PEOPLE.com, "You Can Get Your Dad's Head Turned Into a Cheese Sculpture Just in Time for Father's Day," 12 June 2018
According to a press release, engineering student Mario Tobia chanced upon the sculpture during a dig at the Abel site, located south of the Israel-Lebanon border, last summer.

— meilan solly, Smithsonian, "Could This Sculpted Head Depict a Little-Known Biblical King?," 11 June 2018
In addition to painting and sculpture, Mr. Indiana designed posters and stage sets for opera.

— matt schudel, Washington Post, "Robert Indiana, artist who created ubiquitous LOVE image, dies at 89," 23 May 2018
Tony DeLap, a Corona del Mar resident for 53 years, has created boundary-pushing hybrids of painting and sculpture since the 1960s.

— richard chang, latimes.com, "Longtime O.C. artist Tony DeLap offers insight into his retrospective at Laguna Art Museum," 17 May 2018
Located in the city’s ViBe Creative District, MOCA offers exhibits where the language of contemporary art is explored via exhibitions with painting, sculpture, photography, glass, video and other visual media.

— donna m. owens, baltimoresun.com, "Virginia Beach: Where to take the kids and what to check out this summer," 9 May 2018
Visitors to this weekend’s Mission Federal ArtWalk in the Little Italy neighborhood will discover: More than 300 local, national and international artists, displaying and selling paintings, sculpture, photography, glass, and jewelry.

— marcia manna, sandiegouniontribune.com, "At Mission Federal ArtWalk, dance finds a home," 26 Apr. 2018
Learn what going rates are for a range of media, whether that's painting, sculpture, photography, or prints.

— birmingham magazine, AL.com, "A guide to how to choose art for your home," 24 Apr. 2018

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