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Synonyms

sculpture

American  
[skuhlp-cher] / ˈskʌlp tʃər /

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 British  
/ 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

"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

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

"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

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

Etymology

Origin of sculpture

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

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.

Her dioramas, sculptures and large-scale multimedia installations explore the legacy of American slavery, confront racial injustice and celebrate the strength and resiliency of African American women.

From Los Angeles Times

The retrospective, including several other works loaned from other countries, features paintings, sculptures and drawings.

From Barron's

As a member of the Sanday Community Craft Club, he is also considering using the plastic to create an artistic sculpture to make a statement about the problem.

From BBC

The Echo Park-based creative is also a professional ceramicist whose hand-built vessels and sculptures have been on display at the Japanese American National Museum of Art, Oxy Arts and the Oakland Museum of Art.

From Los Angeles Times

The Worcester Plinth is displaying a sculpture by Sarah Dukes titled 'The Gulls' which can currently be seen at the play park on Lansdowne Road.

From BBC