vignette
/vɪnˈjɛt/
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.65 in modern English
Meaning
noun
A running ornament consisting of leaves and tendrils, used in Gothic architecture.
noun
A decorative design, originally representing vine branches or tendrils, at the head of a chapter, of a manuscript or printed book, or in a similar position.
noun
Any small borderless picture in a book, especially an engraving, photograph, or the like, which vanishes gradually at the edge.
noun
The central pictorial image on a postage stamp.
noun
The characteristic of a camera lens, either by deficiency in design or by mismatch of the lens with the film format, that produces an image smaller than the film's frame with a crudely focused border. Photographers may deliberately choose this characteristic for a special effect.
noun
A hardware deficiency (even occurring in most expensive models) of a computer display wherein the picture slants towards a colour or brightness towards the edges especially if viewed from an angle.
Example Sentences
- "The centrality of this particular trope can been seen in the vignette adorning the opening page of Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert's Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonnée des sciences, des arts et des métiers (1751–1752)."
- "A particular classroom incident, and the vignette I used to portray it, had a significant impact on the interpretative framework for my research into scientific literacy."
- "I have two favourite vignettes from the voting lobbies on Wednesday night. The first is the news that one minister told the Tory chief whip, Julian Smith: “You don’t know what you’re doing,” to which Smith replied, “I do know what I’m doing”."
- "At the top of the stamp and centered slightly to the right is the wording, “U. S. Postage,” in white Gothic. Below the vignette are the words, “Little White House,” in quotations, with “Warm Springs,” centered directly below in dark Gothic, […]"
- "Liz Brent, broker at Go Brent in Maryland and Washington, DC, said she’s spent the past few months changing how she presents properties by emphasizing photographs, 3-D tours, and video vignettes for homes online."
- "In order to drive on Bulgarian roads outside Sofia you'll need to purchase a vignette which must be displayed in the windscreen."
Etymology
Origin
- Source language: French
Word Breakdown
- Root: vignette, vīnea