Showing results for body art. Search instead for body adapts.

body art

American

noun

an artistic practice or style of the 1960s and 1970s developing from conceptual art and performance art and utilizing the artist's body as both the subject and object in such experimentation as decoration, wax casts, and even mutilation.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

body artist

noun

Etymology

Origin of body art

First recorded in 1970–75

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.

It’s a big deal given his apprehension toward body art.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2025

Meg Jones and Hannah Botterman's love of body art has prompted them both to get tattoos in honour of the location of each of England's games.

From BBC • Sep. 27, 2025

DeLauro is far from the first member of Congress to sport body art.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 31, 2023

Mr. Sherland was charged with performing body art on a person under 16 years of age, regardless of parental consent, and for giving his son the piercing without a license.

From Washington Times • Apr. 24, 2023

It was a breathtaking piece of body art.

From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023