art¹ /ärt/

1. Practical skill, or its application, guided by principles
2. Human skill and agency, opp to nature
3. Application of skill to production of beauty (esp visible beauty) and works of creative imagination, as in the fine arts
4. (in general use) the visual arts, drawing and painting, and usu sculpture
5. A branch of learning, esp one of the liberal arts (see trivium under trivia, quadrivium under quadri-), as in faculty of arts, master of arts
6. Skill or knowledge in a particular department
7. A skilled profession or trade, craft, or branch of activity
8. Magic or occult knowledge or influence
9. A method or knack of doing a thing
10. Cunning, artifice, crafty conduct
11. A wile, trick

1. Of, for or concerned with painting, sculpture, etc (as in art gallery, art historian)
2. Intended to be decorative or artistic
3. Produced with studied artistry, not arising spontaneously or by chance
4. Following artistic aims at the expense of commercial considerations, as in art cinema

artˈful adjective

1. Cunning
2. Skilful, masterly
3. Produced by art
4. Dexterous, clever (archaic)

artˈfully adverb

artˈfulness noun

artˈiness noun

The quality or state of being arty

artˈless adjective

1. Simple
2. Guileless, unaffected
3. Inartistic (rare)

artˈlessly adverb

artˈlessness noun

artˈy (informal) or less commonly artˈsy adjective

Artistic, or affectedly aspiring to be

An arty person

art autre /är-tō-tr’/ noun

A post-World War II movement in painting, including tachisme

art brut noun

The primitive (literally, raw), unrefined or naïve art of non-professional or untrained artists (eg children, mental patients, prisoners, etc)

art deco /ärt dekˈō/ noun

The style of decorative art characteristic of the 1920s and 1930s, developing the curvilinearity of art nouveau into more streamlined geometrical forms

art form noun

1. A set form or arrangement in poetry or music
2. An accepted medium of artistic expression

artˈhouse noun

A cinema that shows films regarded as artistic as distinct from popular, incl cult and foreign, subtitled films (also adjective)

art nouveau /är noo-vōˈ/ noun

A decorative form of art (c.1890–1910) in which curvilinear forms are important and fundamentally unrelated images are often combined in a single design

art paper noun

A type of paper for illustrations, coated with a composition containing china clay

arts centre noun

A building for practising, performing or exhibiting various arts and art forms

artsˈman noun

1. A craftsman (obsolete)
2. A scholar (obsolete)

artˈ-song noun

A song whose words and music are the product of conscious art, the music reflecting every turn of meaning (distinguished from a folk song)

art therapy noun

Art used as a means of communication, or a creative activity, to assist personal development, diagnosis and rehabilitation

art union noun (Aust and NZ)

A lottery

artˈwork noun

1. The illustrations and other decorative material in a publication
2. Production of or work in creating, artistic objects
3. Work(s) of art

arty-craftˈy adjective

1. To do with, or esp involved in, arts and crafts
2. Self-consciously artistic

arty-fartˈy or artsy-fartsˈy adjective (derogatory, informal)

Arty, arty-crafty

art and part (orig law, etc)

Concerned in either by art in contriving or by part in actual execution, now loosely used in the sense of participating, sharing

fine art

1. The aesthetically significant forms of art (now usu defined as architecture, painting, sculpture and some graphic arts) as distinct from applied and decorative art
2. Loosely, (a college course combining) art history and practical art tuition
3. Sometimes, the fine arts (see below)
4. An operation or practice requiring special skill or craftsmanship (informal)

get something down to a fine art

To become very skilled at something through practice

soft art (and soft sculpture)

Works of art (and sculpture) constructed from textiles or other soft materials

term of art

A technical word

the fine arts

Painting, poetry, music, etc

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