Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Silhouette
Silˊhou-ette′
,Noun.
[F.; – so called from Etienne de
Silhoutte
, a French minister of finance in 1759, whise diversion it was to make such portraits on the walls of his apartments.] A representation of the outlines of an object filled in with a black color; a profile portrait in black, such as a shadow appears to be.
Silˊhou-ette′
,Verb.
T.
To represent by a silhouette; to project upon a background, so as to be like a silhouette.
[Recent]
A flock of roasting vultures
silhouetted
on the sky. The Century.
Definition 2024
Silhouette
Silhouette
See also: silhouette and silhouetté
silhouette
silhouette
See also: Silhouette and silhouetté
English
Noun
silhouette (plural silhouettes)
- An illustrated outline filled in with a solid color(s), usually only black, and intended to represent the shape of an object without revealing any other visual details; a similar appearance produced when the object being viewed is situated in relative darkness with brighter lighting behind it; a profile portrait in black, such as a shadow appears to be. [mid 19th c.]
- I could see a silhouette of a figure looking out from the window, but I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman.
Translations
representation of the outlines of an object filled in with a black color
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Verb
silhouette (third-person singular simple present silhouettes, present participle silhouetting, simple past and past participle silhouetted)
- To represent by a silhouette; to project upon a background, so as to be like a silhouette. [late 19th c.]
French
Etymology
From Silhouette, after Étienne de Silhouette, a French politician, from Basque.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /silwɛt/
Noun
silhouette f (plural silhouettes)
Verb
silhouette
- first-person singular present indicative of silhouetter
- third-person singular present indicative of silhouetter
- first-person singular present subjunctive of silhouetter
- third-person singular present subjunctive of silhouetter
- second-person singular imperative of silhouetter