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montage

[ mon-tahzh; French mawn-tazh ]
/ mɒnˈtɑʒ; French mɔ̃ˈtaʒ /
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noun, plural mon·tag·es [mon-tah-zhiz; French mawn-tazh]. /mɒnˈtɑ ʒɪz; French mɔ̃ˈtaʒ/.
the technique of combining in a single composition pictorial elements from various sources, as parts of different photographs or fragments of printing, either to give the illusion that the elements belonged together originally or to allow each element to retain its separate identity as a means of adding interest or meaning to the composition.Compare collage (def. 1).
photomontage.
Movies, Television.
  1. juxtaposition or partial superimposition of several shots to form a single image.
  2. a technique of film editing in which this is used to present an idea or set of interconnected ideas.
any combination of disparate elements that forms or is felt to form a unified whole, single image, etc.
verb (used with object), mon·taged [mon-tahzhd], /mɒn tɑʒd/, mon·tag·ing [mon-tah-zhing]. /mɒnˈtɑ ʒɪŋ/.
to make or incorporate into a montage.
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Origin of montage

1920–25; <French, equivalent to mont(er) to mount1 + -age-age

Words nearby montage

monstrosity, monstrous, mons veneris, Mont., Montadale, montage, Montagnais, Montagnard, Montagu, Montague, Montague grammar
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to montage

patchwork, checker, motley, plaid, tessellation, variegation, all sorts, array, assortment, choice, collection, combination, combo, conglomerate, diversity, hodgepodge, jumble, medley, mélange, miscellany

How to use montage in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for montage

montage
/ (mɒnˈtɑːʒ, French mɔ̃taʒ) /
noun
the art or process of composing pictures by the superimposition or juxtaposition of miscellaneous elements, such as other pictures or photographs
such a composition
a method of film editing involving the juxtaposition or partial superimposition of several shots to form a single image
a rapidly cut film sequence of this kind

Word Origin for montage

C20: from French, from monter to mount 1
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 montage

montage
[ (mon-tahzh, mohn-tahzh) ]

In art, making one composition by combining parts or the whole of other pictures, objects, or designs. In film, a stylized form of editing that provides a great deal of information in a short time. For example, the passing of years may be rendered by mixing shots of different seasons with shots of calendar pages turning.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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