A sculpture is a work of art that is produced by carving or shaping stone, wood, clay, or other materials.
...stone sculptures of figures and animals. [+ of]
...a collection of 20th-century art and sculpture.
Synonyms: statue, figure, model, bust More Synonyms of sculpture
2. uncountable noun
Sculpture is the art of creating sculptures.
Both studied sculpture.
More Synonyms of sculpture
sculpture in British English
(ˈskʌlptʃə)
noun
1.
the art of making figures or designs in relief or the round by carving wood, moulding plaster, etc, or casting metals, etc
2.
works or a work made in this way
3.
ridges or indentations as on a shell, formed by natural processes
4.
the gradual formation of the landscape by erosion
verb(mainly tr)
5. (also intr)
to carve, cast, or fashion (stone, bronze, etc) three dimensionally
6.
to portray (a person, etc) by means of sculpture
7.
to form in the manner of sculpture, esp to shape (landscape) by erosion
8.
to decorate with sculpture
Also (for senses 5–8): sculpt
Derived forms
sculptural (ˈsculptural)
adjective
sculpturally (ˈsculpturally)
adverb
Word origin
C14: from Latin sculptūra a carving; see sculpt
sculpture in American English
(ˈskʌlptʃər)
noun
1.
the art of carving wood, chiseling stone, casting or welding metal, molding clay or wax, etc. into three-dimensional representations, as statues, figures, forms, etc.
2.
any work of sculpture, or such works collectively
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈsculptured or ˈsculpturing
3.
to cut, carve, chisel, cast, weld, mold, etc. into statues, figures, etc.
4.
to represent or portray by means of sculpture
5.
to make or form as or like sculpture
6.
to decorate with sculpture
7.
to change in form by erosion
rock sculptured by a river
verb intransitive
8.
to work as a sculptor
Derived forms
sculptural (ˈsculptural)
adjective
sculpturally (ˈsculpturally)
adverb
Word origin
ME < L sculptura < sculptus, pp. of sculpere: see sculptor
Examples of 'sculpture' in a sentence
sculpture
You enter reception up steps past an unusual old stone sculpture of a howling hound.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
That is probably how they got into art or sculpture in the first place.
O'Keeffe, John Your One Week Way to Mind-Fitness (1994)
The blurring of paintings and sculptures works well throughout the building.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
It consists of a group of three striking sculptures.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Over the years he built up a distinctive collection of sculptures and pictures.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
He swipes thick pigment round shapes as a sculpture might sweep a fistful of clay.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
During this period his interests had come to focus on painting and sculpture.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Security is tight and each home has an individual stone sculpture to impress guests.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Another photo shows a detainee relaxing as he makes a sculpture in an art class.
The Sun (2010)
His dual nationality is central to his art which ranges from painting and photography to sculpture and installation.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Your beautiful carved ice swan sculpture!
The Sun (2011)
He doesn't want to make sculpture in the way the past made it.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
But after an injury he returned to the Spanish capital to study drawing and sculpture.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
He wants to do more bronzes, more sculptures.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Does this in itself signal changing attitudes to imperial relief sculpture, or economic decline?
The Times Literary Supplement (2011)
Organisers are promising a magical weekend of ice sculptures and outdoor entertainment, ironically with a sprinkling of snow guaranteed.
The Sun (2010)
A lot of my sculptures are cast in plaster, then cast again in polyester.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
There are carvings, sculptures, reliefs and smaller pictures propped or hung against larger ones.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
It is like an artist using different media, such as sculpture, clay and painting.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
I also do wood sculpture and I love cooking.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
In other languages
sculpture
British English: sculpture /ˈskʌlptʃə/ NOUN
A sculpture is a work of art that is produced by carving or shaping materials such as stone or clay.
There were stone sculptures of different animals.
American English: sculpture
Arabic: فَنُّ النَحْت
Brazilian Portuguese: escultura
Chinese: 雕塑
Croatian: skulptura
Czech: socha
Danish: skulptur
Dutch: beeldhouwwerk
European Spanish: escultura
Finnish: kuvanveisto
French: sculpture
German: Skulptur
Greek: γλυπτό
Italian: scultura
Japanese: 彫刻
Korean: 조각술
Norwegian: skulptur
Polish: rzeźba
European Portuguese: escultura
Romanian: sculptură
Russian: скульптура
Latin American Spanish: escultura
Swedish: skulptur
Thai: การแกะสลัก
Turkish: heykel
Ukrainian: скульптура
Vietnamese: tác phẩm điêu khắc
Chinese translation of 'sculpture'
sculpture
(ˈskʌlptʃəʳ)
n
(u) (= art) 雕塑 (diāosù)
(c) (= object) 塑像 (sùxiàng) (座, zuò)
(noun)
Definition
works or a work made in this way
a collection of 20th-century sculptures
Synonyms
statue
a huge white statue of Chairman Mao
figure
model
bust
a bronze bust of Beethoven
effigy
An effigy was being burned in the town square.
figurine
statuette
(verb)
Definition
to form or be formed in the manner of sculpture
He sculptured the figure in marble.
Synonyms
carve
One of the prisoners has carved a beautiful chess set.
form
The bowl was formed out of clay.
cut
Geometric motifs are cut into the stone walls.
model
Sometimes she carved wood or modelled clay.
fashion
The desk was fashioned out of oak.
shape
Cut the dough in half and shape each half into a loaf.
mould
We moulded a statue out of mud.
sculpt
They sculpt the material while it is in the right stage of stickiness.
chisel
hew (old-fashioned)
medieval monasteries hewn out of the rockface
sculp
Additional synonyms
in the sense of bust
Definition
a sculpture of the head, shoulders, and upper chest of a person
a bronze bust of Beethoven
Synonyms
sculpture,
carving,
head
in the sense of cut
Definition
to form or shape by cutting
Geometric motifs are cut into the stone walls.
Synonyms
shape,
carve,
engrave,
chisel,
form,
score,
fashion,
chip,
sculpture,
whittle,
sculpt,
inscribe,
hew (old-fashioned)
in the sense of effigy
Definition
a crude representation of someone, used as a focus for contempt
An effigy was being burned in the town square.
Synonyms
likeness,
figure,
image,
model,
guy,
carving,
representation,
statue,
icon,
idol,
dummy,
statuette
Synonyms of 'sculpture'
sculpture
Explore 'sculpture' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of fashion
Definition
to form, make, or shape
The desk was fashioned out of oak.
Synonyms
make,
shape,
cast,
construct,
work,
form,
create,
design,
manufacture,
forge,
mould,
contrive,
fabricate
in the sense of form
Definition
to make or construct or be made or constructed
The bowl was formed out of clay.
Synonyms
make,
produce,
model,
fashion,
build,
create,
shape,
manufacture,
stamp,
construct,
assemble,
forge,
mould,
fabricate
in the sense of hew
Definition
to carve (something) from a substance
medieval monasteries hewn out of the rockface
Synonyms
carve,
make,
form,
fashion,
shape,
model,
sculpture,
sculpt
in the sense of model
Definition
to make a model of
Sometimes she carved wood or modelled clay.
Synonyms
shape,
form,
design,
fashion,
cast,
stamp,
carve,
mould,
sculpt
in the sense of mould
Definition
to shape or form
We moulded a statue out of mud.
Synonyms
shape,
make,
work,
form,
create,
model,
fashion,
cast,
stamp,
construct,
carve,
forge,
sculpt
in the sense of sculpt
They sculpt the material while it is in the right stage of stickiness.
Synonyms
carve,
cut,
fashion,
model,
form,
shape,
cast,
sculpture,
chisel,
hew (old-fashioned)
in the sense of shape
Definition
to mould into a particular pattern or form
Cut the dough in half and shape each half into a loaf.