tableau

American  

[ta-bloh, tab-loh] / tæˈbloʊ, ˈtæb loʊ /

noun

plural

tableaux, tableaus

1. a picture, as of a scene.

2. a picturesque grouping of persons or objects; a striking scene.

3. a representation of a picture, statue, scene, etc., by one or more persons suitably costumed and posed.

4. Solitaire. the portion of a layout to which one may add cards according to suit or denomination.

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tableau British  

/ ˈtæbləʊ /

noun

1. See tableau vivant

2. a pause during or at the end of a scene on stage when all the performers briefly freeze in position

3. any dramatic group or scene

4. logic short for semantic tableau

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Etymology

Origin of tableau

First recorded in 1690–1700; from French: “board, picture,” Middle French tablel, diminutive of table table

Example Sentences

I present to you a familiar domestic tableau: a refrigerator door swinging open to reveal a crowd of condiments purchased for a single recipe.

From Salon

Unlike military parades in many Western capitals, India's Republic Day also blends displays of its military capability with cultural performances and regional tableaux, projecting both power and diversity.

From BBC

The album was “Transference,” its cover a grainy seventies tableau — a boy slinking low in a golden wingback chair, viridian curtains pooling behind him, a table lamp casting an almost aggressively orange glow.

From Salon

These tableaus take place against the backdrop of an increasingly militarized vision of Christmas that permeates American pop culture.

From Salon

You can feel it in the way Emily looks out her father’s window to the lake beyond, the wintery tableau both tranquil and poignant.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• illustration
• spectacle