Mosaic
Mosaic , noun
[French mosaique; compare Pr. mozaic, musec, Sp. & Portuguese mosaico, Italian mosaico, musaico, LGr. {not transcribed}, {not transcribed}, Latin musivum; all from Greek {not transcribed} belonging to the Muses. See Muse the goddess.]
1.
(Fine Arts) A surface decoration made by inlaying in patterns small pieces of variously colored glass, stone, or other material; -- called also mosaic work.
2.
A picture or design made in mosaic; an article decorated in mosaic.
3.
Something resembling a mosaic{1}; something made up of different pieces, fitted together by design to form a unified composition.
Collocations (1)
mosaic virus , A type of plant virus that causes green and yellow mottling of leaves of a plant. A much-studied type is the tobacco mosaic virus, affecting the tobacco plant.
Mosaic , adjective
Of or pertaining to the style of work called mosaic; formed by uniting pieces of different colors; variegated; tessellated; also, composed of various materials or ingredients.
A very beautiful mosaic pavement.
Collocations (3)
Florentine mosaic , See under Florentine.
Mosaic gold , (a) See Ormolu. (b) Stannic sulphide, SnS2, obtained as a yellow scaly crystalline powder, and used as a pigment in bronzing and gilding wood and metal work. It was called by the alchemists aurum musivum, or aurum mosaicum. Called also bronze powder.
Mosaic work , See Mosaic, n.
Mosaic , proper adjective
[From Moses.]
Of or pertaining to Moses, the leader of the Israelites, or established through his agency; as, the Mosaic law, rites, or institutions.