tableau

American  

[ta-bloh, tab-loh] / tæˈbloʊ, ˈtæb loʊ /

noun

plural

tableaux, tableaus

1. a picture, as of a scene.

2. a picturesque grouping of persons or objects; a striking scene.

3. a representation of a picture, statue, scene, etc., by one or more persons suitably costumed and posed.

4. Solitaire. the portion of a layout to which one may add cards according to suit or denomination.

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tableau British  

/ ˈtæbləʊ /

noun

1. See tableau vivant

2. a pause during or at the end of a scene on stage when all the performers briefly freeze in position

3. any dramatic group or scene

4. logic short for semantic tableau

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Etymology

Origin of tableau

First recorded in 1690–1700; from French: “board, picture,” Middle French tablel, diminutive of table table

Explanation

A tableau is a dramatic picture. If you catch a glance into the Oval Office and see top advisers speaking to each other with intensity, you behold a dramatic political tableau. Tableau comes from the old French for "picture, or painted target." We usually use tableau to describe a vivid living scene. If you are a journalist and want to describe the tension in a courtroom, you might write a verbal tableau of the judge, the jury, and the witness box. People used to entertain themselves by doing tableau vivant, or living pictures, by reenacting perfectly the frozen scene of a famous painting.

Example Sentences

The album was “Transference,” its cover a grainy seventies tableau — a boy slinking low in a golden wingback chair, viridian curtains pooling behind him, a table lamp casting an almost aggressively orange glow.

From Salon • Dec. 30, 2025

But as the company grew, marketing its locations as a tableau in which to “stay awhile” ultimately meant there was a finite number of people they could sell coffee to per day.

From Slate • Dec. 22, 2025

Thanks, baseball, for creating the tableau for the Dodgers’ 13 most memorable playoff moments, one for every win, one for every scream, one for every occasion when you thought it couldn’t get any crazier.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 27, 2025

The overeager holiday helper — that perennial character in the Thanksgiving tableau.

From Salon • Nov. 25, 2025

For a moment the two were frozen in a silent tableau, then the man recovered himself.

From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford

Related Words

• illustration
• spectacle