sculpture

[skuhlp-cher]

noun

1. the art of carving, modeling, welding, or otherwise producing figurative or abstract works of art in three dimensions, as in relief, intaglio, or in the round.

2. such works of art collectively.

3. an individual piece of such work.

verb (used with object)

sculptured, sculpturing 

1. to carve, model, weld, or otherwise produce (a piece of sculpture).

2. to produce a portrait or image of in this way; represent in sculpture.

3. Physical Geography.,  to change the form of (the land surface) by erosion.

verb (used without object)

sculptured, sculpturing 

1. to work as a sculptor.

sculpture

/ ˈskʌlptʃə /

noun

1. the art of making figures or designs in relief or the round by carving wood, moulding plaster, etc, or casting metals, etc

2. works or a work made in this way

3. ridges or indentations as on a shell, formed by natural processes

4. the gradual formation of the landscape by erosion

verb

1. (also intr) to carve, cast, or fashion (stone, bronze, etc) three dimensionally

2. to portray (a person, etc) by means of sculpture

3. to form in the manner of sculpture, esp to shape (landscape) by erosion

4. to decorate with sculpture

Other Word Forms

• sculptural adjective
• sculpturally adverb
• nonsculptural adjective
• nonsculpturally adverb
• resculpture verb (used with object)
• unsculptural adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sculpture¹

1350–1400; Middle English (noun) < Latin sculptūra, equivalent to sculpt ( us ) (past participle of sculpere to carve) + -ūra -ure

Word History and Origins

Origin of sculpture¹

C14: from Latin sculptūra a carving; see _sculpt

Example Sentences

As she writes, carved surface ornament occupies a “space between architecture and sculpture” that has been neglected by historians of both disciplines.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A win for anyone who collects wine or art, this miniature sculpture has both a sense of humor and a practical purpose.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The S-shaped copper sculpture has baffled cryptography enthusiasts since its 1990 installation on the grounds of the CIA headquarters in Virginia, with three of its four messages deciphered so far.

Read more on Barron's

But they weren’t corpses as Stadiatis had thought: they were marble and bronze sculptures.

Read more on Literature

She said Carr got involved after meeting a trustee at an auction, where a sculpture of his head was on offer.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• sculpt