silhouette
sil·hou·ette (sil′ə wet′)
noun
- an outline, esp. a profile portrait, made either by cutting from black paper and fixing on a light background, or by drawing and then filling in with a solid color
- any dark shape or figure seen against a light background
- the outline of a figure, garment, etc.; contour
Etymology: Fr, after Étienne de Silhouette (1709-67), Fr minister of finance, in derogatory reference to his fiscal policies and to such amateur portraits by him, both regarded as inept
transitive verb -·et′·ted, -·et′·ting
to show or project in silhouette
Object
- figure: She swung round to see a figure silhouetted against the morning light.
- tree: The lights of the airport bus pick out the tiny terminal building in front of which are silhouetted palm trees and groups of soldiers.
Converse of object
- create: Fit: Straight cut, creates a neat silhouette!
- see: Instead of seeing the silhouette of a plane, he saw no shape at all around the light.
- cut: Laser cut silhouettes representing the objects will be welded to hoops.
Preposition: against
- skyline: My last view of Royal Oak was of her keel, silhouetted against the dark skyline.
- sky: In silhouette against a pale night sky you may even spot its ears.
- sunset: At end, D & N are silhouetted against the sunset on top of the climbing net - beautiful.
- sun: Silhouetted against the sun was a school of large batfish.
- background: A man's figure is silhouetted against the background of a white curtain flooded by the light of a new day.
- light: The figure of a woman was silhouetted against the yellow light of the hall.
Adjective modifier
- unmistakable: Suddenly I saw a darkening of the water beyond the jacks, the unmistakable silhouette of a big manta.
- striking: In this way it replicates the visual impact of the striking silhouette of March's memorial.
- fitted: The full zip top is made from 100 cotton and has a flattering fitted silhouette.
- distinctive: THE distinctive silhouette of Stonehenge is known the world over.
- dark: At its head, a dark silhouette was clearly a swimming mammal.
- dramatic: Due to its dramatic silhouette, Union is also called by some the Tahiti of the West Indies.
Modifies a noun
- portrait: It will be like those old cut out silhouette portraits everyone used to get.
Preposition: of
The ache to utter and see in word The silhouette of a brooding soul.
The old man puffed into sight like a venerable battlewagon pressing up over the horizon. First a smudge of smoke, then the long cigar, then the familiar, stoop-shouldered hulk that a generation has come to know as the silhouette of greatness.
Browse dictionary entries near silhouette
- silex
- silesia
- Silenus
- silently
- silent partner
- silent butler
- silent auction
- silent
- silencer
- silenced
- silic-
- silica
- silica gel
- silica glass
- silicate
- siliceous
- silicic
- silicic acid
- silicide
- siliciferous
