mosaic

B2 Topic:Materials & Substances

US /moʊˈzeɪ.ɪk/ UK /məʊˈzeɪ.ɪk/ See IPA manual

Freq #24176

Meanings

1

noun
a picture or pattern made by arranging small pieces of colored stone, glass, tile, or another material

The restored mosaic depicts fish swimming around a Roman ship.
2

noun
a combination of many different elements that together form a larger whole

The neighborhood is a mosaic of languages, traditions, and architectural styles.
3

adj
made up of many varied parts or showing a pattern of distinct patches

Satellite images revealed a mosaic landscape of farms and woodland.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a picture or pattern made... tileworktessellation

2 noun · a combination of many... mixture patchwork composite

3 adj · made up of many varied... composite variegated patchwork

Opposites

uniform whole

Word family

Forms mosaics

Derived forms mosaicistmosaicism

Related forms tesseratiletessellation

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

tobacco mosaic
a disease of tobacco plants that produces mottled discoloration of the leaves

Noun + noun

Etymology

From Middle French mosaique, through Italian mosaico and Medieval Latin musaicum or mosaicum. The term is ultimately associated with Greek Mouseion, a shrine of the Muses, whose decorated surfaces helped give the art form its name.

Topics

Materials & Substances

External links

# mosaic

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun, adj
**IPA (US):** /moʊˈzeɪ.ɪk/
**IPA (UK):** /məʊˈzeɪ.ɪk/
**Frequency rank:** 24176

## Meanings
1. a picture or pattern made by arranging small pieces of colored stone, glass, tile, or another material
2. a combination of many different elements that together form a larger whole
3. made up of many varied parts or showing a pattern of distinct patches

## Examples
- The restored mosaic depicts fish swimming around a Roman ship.
- The neighborhood is a mosaic of languages, traditions, and architectural styles.
- Satellite images revealed a mosaic landscape of farms and woodland.

## Synonyms
- tilework
- tessellation
- mixture
- patchwork
- composite

## Antonyms
- uniform whole

## Derived Forms
- mosaicist
- mosaicism

## Related Forms
- tessera
- tile
- tessellation

## Etymology
From Middle French mosaique, through Italian mosaico and Medieval Latin musaicum or mosaicum. The term is ultimately associated with Greek Mouseion, a shrine of the Muses, whose decorated surfaces helped give the art form its name.

## Topics
- Materials & Substances

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