vertu
/vɚˈtu/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.02 in modern English
8
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The fine arts as a subject of study or expertise; understanding of arts and antiquities.
Uncountable
noun
Especially with reference to the writings of Machiavelli (1469–1527): the requisite qualities for political or military success; vitality, determination; power.
Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "To give them their Due, they ſoar a Step higher than their Predeceſſors, and may be called Men of Wiſdom and Vertù (take heed you do not read Virtue)."
- "He engaged a certain Abbé of distinguished taste in virtù to attend them as their Ciceroné, and explain the antiquities brought from Herculaneum and Pompeia […]."
- "A Catalogue of a Truly Valuable Assemblage of Articles of Virtu of William Chinnery, Esq. Brought from Gillwell, Essex[…]."
- "I marvelled that the king should regard a chapel as an object of vertù."
- "The more drawers and closets there were, the more hiding-holes could Charlotte make for the accommodation of old rags, hair-combs, old shoes, ribbons, cast-off artificial flowers, and other articles of vertù, wherein her soul delighted."
- "“I was anxious to add to my collection of theosophical tea-cups, spirit cigarettes, and other articles of vertu […].”"
Etymology
Borrowed from Italian virtù, †vertù (“moral worth, virtue (13th century); determination, perseverance, military valour (14th century); study of the liberal or fine arts; appreciation of, taste for, or expertise in the fine arts; objets d'art collectively (16th century)”); or from French vertu (“virtue”), ultimately from Latin virtūt-, virtus (“virtue”). Doublet of virtue; compare also virtuoso.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /vɚˈtu/
- British English: /vəˈtuː/