chinoiserie

American  

[sheen-wah-zuh-ree, -wah-zuh-ree, shee-nwaz^uh-ree] / ʃinˌwɑ zəˈri, -ˈwɑ zə ri, ʃi nwazəˈri /

noun

(sometimes initial capital letter)

chinoiseries plural

1. a style of ornamentation current chiefly in the 18th century in Europe, characterized by intricate patterns and an extensive use of motifs identified as Chinese.

2. an object decorated in this style or an example of this style.

   The clock was an interesting chinoiserie.

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chinoiserie British  

/ -ˈwɑːzərɪ, ʃiːnˌwɑːzəˈriː /

noun

1. a style of decorative or fine art based on imitations of Chinese motifs

2. an object or objects in this style

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• chinoiseries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of chinoiserie

1880–85; < French, equivalent to chinois Chinese + -erie -ery

Example Sentences

Anne lives for preppy chinoiserie, so a burnt orange vase makes perfect sense as the focal point of her kitchen island.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 22, 2023

You can mix the check pattern with a statement floral, chinoiserie, larger-scale geometric or a solid in the same color as the check, Duncan says.

From Washington Post • Jan. 11, 2021

Inside, it was decorated in decadent chinoiserie, with a thirty-foot glass chandelier clutched in the claws of a silvered dragon suspended above the dining table.

From The New Yorker • Jan. 10, 2020

Naturally, it was none other than Benjamin Franklin, the chief disciple of Confucius and chinoiserie among the Founding Fathers of the United States.

From Salon • Feb. 6, 2019

You take very little notice at the time: more of their quaint punchinello chinoiserie, you say.

From The Crest-Wave of Evolution A Course of Lectures in History, Given to the Graduates' Class in the Raja-Yoga College, Point Loma, in the College-Year 1918-19 by Morris, Kenneth