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silhouette

Pronunciation: /ˌsɪlʊˈɛt/

Translate silhouette | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of silhouette

noun

  • the dark shape and outline of someone or something visible in restricted light against a brighter background: she paused to see its silhouette against the dimming sky
  • a representation of someone or something showing the shape and outline only, typically coloured in solid black: we can always use a silhouette of Father Christmas

verb

[with object]
  • cast or show (someone or something) as a dark shape and outline against a brighter background:the castle was silhouetted against the sky

Phrases

in silhouette

seen or placed as a silhouette: the old windmill stood out in silhouette against the sky

Origin:

late 18th century: named (although the reason remains obscure) after Étienne de Silhouette (1709–67), French author and politician

Spelling help

Remember that silhouette is spelled with an h after the l.

Spelling tip

a silhouette of a large head.

silhouette in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of silhouette in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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