Dictionary.com

bricolage

[ bree-kuh-lahzh, brik-uh- ]
/ ˌbri kəˈlɑʒ, ˌbrɪk ə- /
Save This Word!

noun, plural bri·co·la·ges [bree-kuh-lah-zhiz, ‐lahzh], /ˌbri kəˈlɑ ʒɪz, ‐ˈlɑʒ/, bri·co·lage.
a construction made of whatever materials are at hand; something created from a variety of available things.
(in literature) a piece created from diverse resources.
(in art) a piece of makeshift handiwork.
the use of multiple, diverse research methods.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of bricolage

First recorded in 1960–65; from French, literally, “do-it-yourself,” from bricoler “to do odd jobs, small chores,” from Middle French bricoler “to zigzag, bounce off,” from Old French bricole “a trifle, bricole ” + -age -age
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for bricolage

bricolage
/ (ˈbrɪkəˌlɑːʒ, French brɪkɔlaʒ) /

noun architect
the jumbled effect produced by the close proximity of buildings from different periods and in different architectural styles
the deliberate creation of such an effect in certain modern developmentsthe post-modernist bricolage of the new shopping centre

Word Origin for bricolage

French: odd jobs, do-it-yourself
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
FEEDBACK