mosaic 
mo·saic (mō zā′ik)
noun
- the process of making pictures or designs by inlaying small bits of colored stone, glass, tile, etc. in mortar
- inlaid work made by this process
- a picture or design so made
- anything resembling this, as a number of aerial photographs pieced together to show a continuous area
- Biol. chimera ()
- Bot. any of the viral diseases that cause wrinkling or mottling of leaves
- TV the photosensitive plate in an iconoscope or other television camera tube
Etymology: LME musycke < OFr musique < ML musaicum, altered < LL musivum, mosaic, orig. neut. of L musivus, artistic, of a muse < L musa, muse: sp. altered by assoc. with Fr mosaïque < It mosaico < same ML source
adjective
of or resembling mosaic or a mosaic
transitive verb -·icked, -·ick·ing
- to make by or as by mosaic
- to decorate with mosaics
Mo·saic (mō zā′ik)
adjective
of Moses or the writings, principles, etc. attributed to him
Etymology: LL(Ec) Mosaicus < Gr(Ec) Mōsaikos
mosaic
n.
Inlaid work
parquetry, parquet, marquetry, inlay. Collection
miscellany, potpourri, pastiche; see collection 1.
Preposition: of
- habitat: The mosaic of old habitats, despite recent change, still remain; some beneath the surface.
- grassland: MAFF is funding research into the reversion of arable land to a mosaic of lowland acid grassland and heathland in the Breckland ESA.
- woodland: Decades on and a rich mosaic of woodland, grassland and open water has developed.
Adjective modifier
- Byzantine: In 1956 I was mesmerized by the Byzantine mosaics in Saint Mark's.
- intricate: They capture sunshine like lanterns composed of the most intricate glass mosaic.
- Roman: See the story of Maiden Castle and walk on Roman mosaics in the atmospheric Victorian Hall.
- colorful: The mosaics will soon be installed to complete a wall which already has seven colorful mosaics depicting local scenes.
- ceramic: A ceramic mosaic of special design covered the floor of the new vestibule and the entrance was an ornate display of early English Architecture.
Modifies a noun
- virus: Two years ago, Africa lost more than half its cassava crop - a key source of calories - to the mosaic virus.
- tiling: The manufacture of tiles The site at Byland is today renowned for the stunning remnants of mosaic floor tiling in the church.
- pavement: The Great Bath, which is still fed today by a Roman lead conduit, was originally decorated with intricate Roman mosaic pavements.
- tile: Your mosaic tiles are then pressed into the mortar to give a good contact.
- mural: Concrete planter decorated with mosaic A detail of a vase This mosaic mural is on the south wall of the house.
- floor: On the mosaic floor is a pattern of bees.
Noun used with modifier
- cauliflower: The cauliflower mosaic viral promoter a recipe for disaster?
- cassava: Emergence, spread and strategies for controlling the pandemic of cassava mosaic virus disease in east and central Africa.
- cucumber: Satellite RNA for control of plant diseases caused by cucumber mosaic virus.
- watermelon: Protection of transgenic plants expressing the coat protein gene of watermelon mosaic virus II or zucchini yellow mosaic virus against six potyviruses.
- turnip: The genetic control of resistance to turnip mosaic virus in Brassica.
- pebble: These pebble mosaics could be found all around the Greek world from the 6th to 4th century BC.
Iris all hues, roses, and jessamine Reared high their flourished heads between, and wrought Mosaic; underfoot the violet, Crocus, and hyacinth with rich inlay Broidered the ground, more coloured than with stone Of costliest emblem: other creature here Beast, bird, insect, or worm durst enter none; Such was their awe of man.
Die Szenen unsers Lebens gleichen den Bildern in groÞer Mosaik, welche in der N a« he keineWirkung tun, sondern von denen man fern stehn muss, um sie sch o« n zu finden. Thescenes ofour liferesemble picturesinrough mosaic; theyareineffective fromcloseup, and havetobe viewed from a distance if theyare to seem beautiful.
Browse dictionary entries near mosaic
- ‹ mos
- ‹ morula
- ‹ mortuary
- ‹ Morton
- ‹ mortmain
- ‹ mortise
- ‹ Mortimer
- ‹ mortify
- ‹ mortification
- ‹ mortician
- mosaic gold ›
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- Mosaic law ›
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