French word

mosaïque

Pronunciation

IPA/mozaik/

Meaning

  • feminine nounmosaic

Example

La mosaïque du musée est très belle.

The mosaic in the museum is very beautiful.

Illustration for mosaïque (mosaic)

More examples

Sur la page d'accueil, on voit une mosaïque de photos d'utilisateurs.

On the homepage, you can see a mosaic of users' photos.

Core concept

A surface where separate colored fragments combine into one recognizable design.

Common phrases

  • carrelage en mosaïque

    mosaic tilework

  • une mosaïque de photos

    mosaic of photos

  • motif en mosaïque

    mosaic pattern

Similar words

décoration: An ornament or finish added to improve a building, room, or object's appearance.
motif: A shape or design that repeats across fabric, walls, or other surfaces.
floutage: A process that blurs part of an image or video to hide identifying details.

Definition in French

Œuvre décorative composée de petits morceaux de pierre, de verre ou de faïence assemblés pour former un dessin ou un motif.

Word origin

The word traces back through Latin mosaicus to Greek mousaïkon, referring to decorative work made by assembling small pieces.

Usage tips

  • In modern French, mettre en mosaïque and mosaïquer can describe obscuring a face or image with blocks, not only making decorative artwork.

Other meanings

  • pixelationnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • mosaïquerpixelateverb
  • mosaïquépixelatedadjective

Word lists with this word