clip art

American  

noun

1. drawings or illustrations available, as in a book, on a CD-ROM, or in an online gallery, for easy insertion into other material.

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clip art British  

noun

1. a large collection of simple drawings stored in a computer from which items can be selected for incorporation into documents

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Etymology

Origin of clip art

First recorded in 1955–60; so called because the original clip art was clipped or cut out from a printed page, usually in books of illustrations specifically designed for this purpose.

Example Sentences

Wiener, the author, said it was his “strong speculation” that the artwork was made using computer clip art.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 17, 2024

Both artists take banal, electronic clip art and render it curiously unsettling.

From Washington Post • Mar. 3, 2021

Heck, if you look for clip art online, most of it is that exact shape.

From The Verge • Dec. 10, 2019

Jess Morgan, of Bainbridge Island, used clip art to show one of Seattle’s beloved, and endangered, resident orcas leaping into the air.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 7, 2019

Instead of using clip art, we made our own versions out of random things we found around town.

From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy