mosaic

/moʊˈzeɪ.ɪk/

noun★Intermediate💡 artwork made of small colored pieces

formal

A picture or pattern made by arranging small colored pieces of glass, stone, or other materials.

Ancient Romans often decorated their floors with intricate mosaics.

The Romans frequently used detailed mosaic designs for their floors.

💡

The word comes from the Greek 'museus' meaning 'of the Muses,' referring to the arts.

figurative

A mixture of different elements or cultures.

The city is a mosaic of diverse traditions and languages.

The city blends many different cultural backgrounds.

💡

This figurative use emphasizes the blending of distinct elements.

Collocations

mosaic patterna design made of small colored piecesmosaic floora floor decorated with mosaic tilesmosaic artthe art of creating mosaics

a theory that society is made up of distinct groups

Remember that 'mosaic' can describe both physical artworks and abstract blends of cultures or ideas.

When referring to the artwork, specify the material (e.g., 'glass mosaic,' 'stone mosaic').

From Greek 'museus' (of the Muses) + '-ic' (relating to). First recorded in English in the 16th century.

The word can refer to both the physical artwork and metaphorically to a blend of diverse elements.

mosa

of the Muses (Greek mythology)

root

-ic

relating to

suffix

English Dictionary