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Russian doll

British  

noun

  1. Also called: matryoshka.   matrioshka.  any of a set of hollow wooden figures, each of which splits in half to contain the next smallest figure, down to the smallest

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Showcasing an all-star cast that features Benedict Cumberbatch, Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley and Richard Oyoade, it’s a whimsical, obsessively designed miniature epic with a Russian doll structure.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2024

According to Kelly Goldsmith, the E. Bronson Ingram Professor of Marketing at Vanderbilt University, McDonald's and Cactus Plant Flea Market essentially created collector bait through their "veritable Russian doll of scarcity marketing tactics."

From Salon • Oct. 22, 2022

It’s like a Russian doll... but for video games.

From The Verge • Jun. 8, 2022

Paz Pardo’s “Ciertas Astillas,” which is structured like a Russian doll, explores artistic identity and stars Irene Sofia Lucio of “Slave Play.”

From New York Times • Sep. 23, 2021

"It makes me tired just remembering how difficult it was to write. The fun of it is that it is like a Russian doll," he says.

From BBC • Aug. 19, 2020

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