papier collé

American

[pa-pyey kaw-ley] / paˈpyeɪ kɔˈleɪ /

noun

collage.

papier collé British

/ papje kɔle /

noun

a type of collage, usually of an abstract design

"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

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

papiers collés

plural

Etymology

Origin of papier collé

< French: literally, glued paper

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The final Matisse here is his 1951 “Creole Dancer,” an ecstatic papier collé thought to depict the black dancer Katherine Dunham.

From New York Times • Nov. 1, 2018

Collage may have started with papier collé, but its logic has since exploded into every realm, including postmodern architecture and culinary experimentation, resulting in things like chocolate bars laced with bacon or mushrooms.

From New York Times • Dec. 9, 2011

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023