cloisonné

[ kloi-zuh-ney; French klwa-zaw-ney ]

noun

1. enamelwork in which colored areas are separated by thin metal bands fixed edgewise to the ground.

adjective

1. pertaining to, forming, or resembling cloisonné or the pattern of cloisonné.

cloisonné

/ klwɑːˈzɒneɪ; klwazɔne /

noun

1. 1. a design made by filling in with coloured enamel an outline of flattened wire put on edge
   2. the method of doing this

adjective

1. of, relating to, or made by cloisonné

Word History and Origins

Origin of cloisonné¹

1860–65; < French, equivalent to cloison partition ( Old French < Vulgar Latin *clausiōn-, stem of *clausiō; Latin claus ( us ) closed ( clause, close ) + -iō -ion ) + -é < Latin -ātus -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of cloisonné¹

C19: from French, from cloisonner to divide into compartments, from cloison partition, ultimately from Latin claudere to close ²

Example Sentences

There were many flowers in the room—some in Cloisonne vases, others in gimcrack vessels such as are bought at country fairs.

From Project Gutenberg

Nammikawa, the cloisonne-worker at Tokio, could have made a better moon.

From Project Gutenberg

They continued along one of the lower galleries of this cloisonne factory, and came to a little bridge that spanned a vault.

From Project Gutenberg

And nothing, in my judgment, more clearly exhibits this union of taste and skill than the Cloisonne work.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• coating
• glaze
• lacquer
• stain
• varnish