grotesque

grotesque
I. noun Etymology: Middle French & Old Italian; Middle French, from Old Italian (pittura) grottesca, literally, cave painting, feminine of grottesco of a cave, from grotta Date: 1561 1. a. a style of decorative art characterized by fanciful or fantastic human and animal forms often interwoven with foliage or similar figures that may distort the natural into absurdity, ugliness, or caricature b. a piece of work in this style 2. one that is grotesque 3. sans serif II. adjective Date: 1603 of, relating to, or having the characteristics of the grotesque: as a. fanciful, bizarre b. absurdly incongruous c. departing markedly from the natural, the expected, or the typical Synonyms: see fantasticgrotesquely adverbgrotesqueness noun

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • grotesque — [ grɔtɛsk ] n. et adj. • 1532; it. grottesca, de grotta « grotte » → grotte I ♦ N. m. ou f. pl. Arts 1 ♦ Ornements fantastiques découverts aux XVe et XVIe s. dans les ruines …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • grotesque — Grotesque. adj. Il se dit des figures imaginées par le caprice du Peintre, dont une partie represente quelque chose de naturel, & l autre quelque chose de chimerique. Figures grotesques. En ce sens on l employe plus ordinairement au substantif, & …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Grotesque — (Жешув,Польша) Категория отеля: Адрес: Przesmyk 4, 35 065 Жешув, Польша Описание …   Каталог отелей

  • Grotesque — Gro*tesque (gr[ o]*t[e^]sk ), a. [F., fr. It. grottesco, fr. grotta grotto. See {Grotto}.] 1. Like the figures found in ancient grottoes; grottolike. [1913 Webster] 2. Hence: Wildly or strangely formed; whimsical; extravagant; of irregular forms… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • grotesque — [grō tesk′] adj. [Fr < It grottesca (pittura), orig., (picture) in a cave < grotta, GROTTO: from resemblance to designs found in Roman caves] 1. in or of a style of painting, sculpture, etc. in which forms of persons and animals are… …   English World dictionary

  • grotesque — (adj.) c.1600s, originally a noun (1560s), from M.Fr. crotesque (16c., Mod.Fr. grotesque), from It. grottesco, lit. of a cave, from grotta (see GROTTO (Cf. grotto)). The usual explanation is that the word first was used of paintings found on the… …   Etymology dictionary

  • grotesque — ► ADJECTIVE 1) comically or repulsively ugly or distorted. 2) shockingly incongruous or inappropriate. ► NOUN 1) a grotesque figure or image. 2) a style of decorative painting or sculpture consisting of the interweaving of human and animal forms… …   English terms dictionary

  • Grotesque — Gro*tesque, n. 1. A whimsical figure, or scene, such as is found in old crypts and grottoes. Dryden. [1913 Webster] 2. Artificial grotto work. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Grotesque — Grotesque, Schriftgattung, s.u. Schrift …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • grotesque — index odious, prodigious (amazing) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • grotesque — bizarre, *fantastic, antic Analogous words: baroque, rococo, flamboyant (see ORNATE): *weird, eerie, uncanny: extravagant, extreme (see EXCESSIVE): preposterous, absurd (see FOOLISH): ludicrous, ridiculous, comical, comic, droll (see LAUGHABLE) …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

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