frieze

[ freez ]

/ friz /

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noun

Architecture.

the part of a classical entablature between the architrave and the cornice, usually decorated with sculpture in low relief.
any decorative band on an outside wall, broader than a stringcourse and bearing lettering, sculpture, etc.

any decorative band at the top or beneath the cornice of an interior wall, a piece of furniture, etc.

Furniture. skirt (def. 6b).

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Origin of frieze

1555–65; <Middle French frise, perhaps <Medieval Latin phrygium, frigium, frisium embroidered cloth, embroidery, Latin Phrygium, neuter of Phrygius Phrygian

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH frieze

freeze, frieze

Words nearby frieze

frier, fries, Friese-Greene, Friesian, Friesland, frieze, friezing, frig, frigate, frigate bird, frigate mackerel

Other definitions for frieze (2 of 2)

frieze²

[ freez ]

/ friz /

noun

a heavy, napped woolen cloth for coats.

Origin of frieze

1350–1400; Middle English frise<Old French; see frieze¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use frieze in a sentence

So does the Parthenon frieze depict virgin sacrifice, and was it built over the tomb of these maidens of myth?
Virgin Sacrifice and the Meaning of the Parthenon|Nick Romeo|February 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This notion of fashion as a kind of wearable narrative is in evidence at industry gatherings like Frieze and Art Basel.
From Prada Mural Coats to Dover Street, Fashion’s Art Moment|Bethan Holt|February 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It did not get made due to lack of financing but then Frieze went and did it, which is annoying!
Joshua Compston Was Once the Wunderkind of the British Art World…and Now He’s Been Practically Forgotten|Anthony Haden-Guest|January 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Since then, it has been screened at such venues as the British Film Institute, Southbank London (2008), Frieze Art Fair (2010).
Seduced by Art & Beauty ‘At the House of Mr X’|Chloë Ashby|January 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST

From a 48 portraits of young men and women to a Jeff Koons lobster, the must-see art at Frieze London, which opens on Thursday.
The 15 Best Things to See at Frieze Art Fair London 2013|Chloë Ashby|October 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The side walls are surmounted with a chaste frieze, and running towards the base are “stations” and statues of saints.
Our Churches and Chapels|Atticus
They are crowned with capitals of bronze and support the enormous beam of a frieze formed of six polished blocks.
Ways of War and Peace|Delia Austrian
They saw faint images of painted martyrs and angels peering down from the frieze and vaulting.
God Wills It!|William Stearns Davis
Over this they usually wear a sleeveless jacket of brown frieze, and the cap is of light brown felt, shaped like half a gourd.
The Cradle of Mankind|W.A. Wigram
The frieze was composed of a tricusped arcade with small columns carried on corbels with carved heads.
Ypres and the Battles of Ypres|Unknown

British Dictionary definitions for frieze (1 of 2)

frieze¹

/ (friːz) /

noun

architect

the horizontal band between the architrave and cornice of a classical entablature, esp one that is decorated with sculpture
the upper part of the wall of a room, below the cornice, esp one that is decorated

any ornamental band or strip on a wall

Word Origin for frieze

C16: from French frise, perhaps from Medieval Latin frisium, changed from Latin Phrygium Phrygian (work), from Phrygia Phrygia, famous for embroidery in gold

British Dictionary definitions for frieze (2 of 2)

frieze²

/ (friːz) /

noun

a heavy woollen fabric with a long nap, used for coats, etc

Word Origin for frieze

C15: from Old French frise, from Middle Dutch friese, vriese, perhaps from Vriese Frisian

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

Cultural definitions for frieze

frieze

[ (freez) ]

An ornamental band that runs around a building. Friezes are usually on the exterior of a building and are often sculpted in bas-relief.

frieze

Origin of frieze

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH frieze

Words nearby frieze

Other definitions for frieze (2 of 2)

Origin of frieze

Words related to frieze

How to use frieze in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for frieze (1 of 2)

Word Origin for frieze

British Dictionary definitions for frieze (2 of 2)

Word Origin for frieze

Cultural definitions for frieze