Library / English Dictionary

MASTERPIECE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

An outstanding achievement

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

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

accomplishment; achievement (the action of accomplishing something)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The most outstanding work of a creative artist or craftsman

Synonyms:

chef-d'oeuvre; masterpiece

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

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

piece of work; work (a product produced or accomplished through the effort or activity or agency of a person or thing)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Hack-work and income first, masterpieces afterward.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

I shall leave masterpieces alone and do hack-work—jokes, paragraphs, feature articles, humorous verse, and society verse—all the rot for which there seems so much demand.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)