plein-air
[ pleyn-air; French ple-ner ]
/ ˌpleɪnˈɛər; French plɛˈnɛr /
adjective
pertaining to a manner or style of painting developed chiefly in France in the mid-19th century, characterized by the representation of the luminous effects of natural light and atmosphere as contrasted with the artificial light and absence of the sense of air or atmosphere associated with paintings produced in the studio.
designating a painting executed out of doors and representing a direct response to the scene or subject in front of the artist.
(of a painting) having the qualities of air and natural light.
QUIZZES
IT’S A WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ BONANZA!
This windfall of words will make you rich with knowledge. Mine your memory on the words from July 27 to August 2!
Question 1 of 7
What does "scattergood" mean?
a person who acts as though he or she knows everything and who dismisses the opinions, comments, or suggestions of others.
a person who spends possessions or money extravagantly or wastefully; spendthrift.
a well-intentioned but naive and often ineffectual social or political reformer.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUTOrigin of plein-air
First recorded in 1890–95; adj. use of plein air
OTHER WORDS FROM plein-air
plein-air·ism, nounplein-air·ist, nounWords nearby plein-air
pledget, pledgor, pleiad, pleiades, plein air, plein-air, pleio-, pleiocene, pleiotaxy, pleiotropic gene, pleiotropism
Definition for plein-air (2 of 2)
plein air
[ pleyn air; French ple ner ]
/ ˈpleɪn ˈɛər; French plɛ ˈnɛr /
noun
the open air, especially the daylight of outdoors.
Fine Arts. the quality of light and atmosphere out of doors, especially this quality as rendered in painting.
Origin of plein air
1890–95; < French: literally, full air
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for plein-air
British Dictionary definitions for plein-air
plein-air
/ (ˌpleɪnˈɛə, French plɛnɛr) /
adjective
of or in the manner of various French 19th-century schools of painting, esp impressionism, concerned with the observation of light and atmosphere effects outdoors
Derived forms of plein-air
plein-airist (ˌpleɪnˈɛərɪst), nounWord Origin for plein-air
C19: from French phrase en plein air in the open (literally: full) air
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