Library / English Dictionary

ART

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The creation of beautiful or significant things

Example:

he said that architecture is the art of wasting space beautifully

Synonyms:

art; artistic creation; artistic production

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("art" is a kind of...):

creation; creative activity (the human act of creating)

Domain member category:

Americana (any artifact (such as books or furniture or art) that is distinctive of America)

art; fine art (the products of human creativity; works of art collectively)

ground ((art) the surface (as a wall or canvas) prepared to take the paint for a painting)

talaria (a winged sandal (as worn by Hermes in Graeco-Roman art))

vocabulary (the system of techniques or symbols serving as a means of expression (as in arts or crafts))

aesthetics; esthetics ((art) the branch of philosophy dealing with beauty and taste (emphasizing the evaluative criteria that are applied to art))

celluloid; cinema; film (a medium that disseminates moving pictures)

expressive style; style (a way of expressing something (in language or art or music etc.) that is characteristic of a particular person or group of people or period)

ensemble; tout ensemble (an assemblage of parts or details (as in a work of art) considered as forming a whole)

exhibition; expo; exposition (a collection of things (goods or works of art etc.) for public display)

appraiser; authenticator (one who determines authenticity (as of works of art) or who guarantees validity)

idealogue; theoretician; theoriser; theorist; theorizer (someone who theorizes (especially in science or art))

tension (a balance between and interplay of opposing elements or tendencies (especially in art or literature))

doldrums; stagnancy; stagnation (a state of inactivity (in business or art etc))

longueur (a period of dullness or boredom (especially in a work of literature or performing art))

finger-paint (apply colors with one's fingers)

fresco (paint onto wet plaster on a wall)

distemper (paint with distemper)

illuminate (add embellishments and paintings to (medieval manuscripts))

miniate; rubricate (decorate (manuscripts) with letters painted red)

blazon; emblazon (decorate with heraldic arms)

sculpt; sculpture (create by shaping stone or wood or any other hard material)

paint (make a painting of)

paint (make a painting)

repaint (paint again)

charge (place a heraldic bearing on)

interpret; represent (create an image or likeness of)

depict; picture; render; show (show in, or as in, a picture)

illustrate (depict with an illustration)

conventionalize; stylise; stylize (represent according to a conventional style)

depict; limn; portray (make a portrait of)

portray; present (represent abstractly, for example in a painting, drawing, or sculpture)

draw (represent by making a drawing of, as with a pencil, chalk, etc. on a surface)

charcoal (draw, trace, or represent with charcoal)

cartoon (draw cartoons of)

fill in; shade (represent the effect of shade or shadow on)

stipple (make by small short touches that together produce an even or softly graded shadow, as in paint or ink)

watercolor; watercolour (paint with watercolors)

miniate (paint with red lead or vermilion)

model; mold; mould (form in clay, wax, etc)

chalk out; sketch (make a sketch of)

lithograph (make by lithography)

silkscreen (print by silkscreen)

stencil (mark or print with a stencil)

engrave; etch (carve or cut into a block used for printing or print from such a block)

stipple (engrave by means of dots and flicks)

etch (make an etching of)

aquatint (etch in aquatint)

model; pose; posture; sit (assume a posture as for artistic purposes)

deaccession (sell (art works) from a collection, especially in order to raise money for the purchase of other art works)

pop; popular ((of music or art) new and of general appeal (especially among young people))

cathartic; releasing (emotionally purging (of e.g. art))

moderne (of or relating to a popularization of art deco that used bright colors and rectangular shapes)

nonrepresentational (of or relating to a style of art in which objects do not resemble those known in physical nature)

formalised; formalistic; formalized (concerned with or characterized by rigorous adherence to recognized forms (especially in religion or art))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "art"):

topiary (making decorative shapes by trimming shrubs or trees)

carving; sculpture (creating figures or designs in three dimensions)

printmaking (artistic design and manufacture of prints as woodcuts or silkscreens)

perfumery (the art of making perfumes)

painting (creating a picture with paints)

origami (the Japanese art of folding paper into shapes representing objects (e.g., flowers or birds))

gastronomy (the art and practice of choosing and preparing and eating good food)

glyptography (carving or engraving (especially on stones))

drafting; draftsmanship; drawing (the creation of artistic pictures or diagrams)

decoupage (the art of decorating a surface with shapes or pictures and then coating it with varnish or lacquer)

decalcomania (the art of transfering designs from specially prepared paper to a wood or glass or metal surface)

ceramics (the art of making and decorating pottery)

arts and crafts (the arts of decorative design and handicraft)

Derivation:

artist (a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The products of human creativity; works of art collectively

Example:

a collection of fine art

Synonyms:

art; fine art

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("art" is a kind of...):

creation (an artifact that has been brought into existence by someone)

Domain category:

art; artistic creation; artistic production (the creation of beautiful or significant things)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "art"):

dance (an artistic form of nonverbal communication)

work of art (art that is a product of one of the fine arts (especially a painting or sculpture of artistic merit))

triptych (art consisting of a painting or carving (especially an altarpiece) on three panels (usually hinged together))

plastic art (the arts of shaping or modeling; carving and sculpture)

mosaic (art consisting of a design made of small pieces of colored stone or glass)

kitsch (excessively garish or sentimental art; usually considered in bad taste)

grotesque (art characterized by an incongruous mixture of parts of humans and animals interwoven with plants)

graphic art (the arts of drawing or painting or printmaking)

genre (a class of art (or artistic endeavor) having a characteristic form or technique)

gem; treasure (art highly prized for its beauty or perfection)

diptych (a painting or carving (especially an altarpiece) on two panels (usually hinged like a book))

decoupage (art produced by decorating a surface with cutouts and then coating it with several layers of varnish or lacquer)

cyberart (art that is produced with the help of computer hardware and software)

commercial art (art used for commercial purposes (as in advertising))

artificial flower (a handmade imitation of a blossom)

Derivation:

artist (a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination)

artistic (satisfying aesthetic standards and sensibilities)

artistic (relating to or characteristic of art or artists)

arty (showily imitative of art or artists)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A superior skill that you can learn by study and practice and observation

Example:

it's quite an art

Synonyms:

art; artistry; prowess

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("art" is a kind of...):

superior skill (more than ordinary ability)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "art"):

ventriloquism; ventriloquy (the art of projecting your voice so that it seems to come from another source (as from a ventriloquist's dummy))

telescopy (the art of making and using telescopes)

taxidermy (the art of mounting the skins of animals so that they have lifelike appearance)

puppetry (the art of making puppets and presenting puppet shows)

enology; oenology (the art of wine making)

musicianship (artistry in performing music)

minstrelsy (the art of a minstrel)

horology (the art of designing and making clocks)

homiletics (the art of preaching)

fortification (the art or science of strengthening defenses)

falconry (the art of training falcons to hunt and return)

eristic (the art of logical disputation (especially if specious))

airmanship; aviation (the art of operating aircraft)

Derivation:

artist (a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Photographs or other visual representations in a printed publication

Example:

the publisher was responsible for all the artwork in the book

Synonyms:

art; artwork; graphics; nontextual matter

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("art" is a kind of...):

visual communication (communication that relies on vision)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "art"):

illustration (artwork that helps make something clear or attractive)

drawing (an illustration that is drawn by hand and published in a book, magazine, or newspaper)

Holonyms ("art" is a part of...):

publication (a copy of a printed work offered for distribution)

Derivation:

artist (a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination)

Credits

 Context examples: 

"Thou art a brave man, Negore," he heard her say in his ear; "thou art my man, Negore."

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

A master's degree in an area of visual, literary or performing arts typically requiring two to three years of study beyond the bachelor level.

(Master of Fine Arts, NCI Thesaurus)

He is so gentle, yet so wise; his mind is so cultivated, and when he speaks, although his words are culled with the choicest art, yet they flow with rapidity and unparalleled eloquence.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

Also called: Tattoos, Body art, Body piercing

(Piercing and Tattoos, NIH)

A doctor; a person who has been educated, trained, and licensed to practice the art and science of medicine; a practitioner of medicine, as contrasted with a surgeon.

(Physician, NCI Thesaurus)

Maybe the first shock was too rough, and in the wildness of her art—!

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

But nature, it seems, has not been so expert a school-mistress; and these politer pleasures are entirely the productions of art and reason on our side of the globe.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Art and Quincey held back, and the latter said:—Should we disturb her?

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

A United States organization of distinguished scientists and engineers established for the purpose of investigating and reporting upon any subject of art or science as requested by any department of government.

(National Academy of Science, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Be quite friendly with him, talk with him, discuss literature and art with him—he is fond of such things.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)