vignette
pronunciation
How to pronounce vignette in British English:
UK [vɪnˈjet]
How to pronounce vignette in American English:
US [vɪnˈjet]
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- Noun:
- a brief literary description
- a photograph whose edges shade off gradually
- a small illustrative sketch (as sometimes placed at the beginning of chapters in books)
Word Origin
- vignette
- vignette: [18] A vignette is etymologically a picture with a border of ‘vine’ tendrils, leaves, etc round it. The word comes from Old French vignette, a diminutive form of vigne ‘vine’ (source of English vine and related to English wine). It was originally applied to decorations in medieval manuscripts, but it was then transferred to the border around pictures, and finally to the pictures themselves. The conscious link with ‘vines’ now became broken, and in the 19th century the term moved on to a ‘head-andshoulders photograph’ and (metaphorically) a ‘short verbal description’.=> vine, wine
- vignette (n.)
- 1751, "decorative design," originally a design in the form of vine tendrils around the borders of a book page, especially a picture page, from French vignette, from Old French diminutive of vigne "vineyard" (see vine). Sense transferred from the border to the picture itself, then (1853) to a type of small photographic portrait with blurred edges very popular mid-19c. Meaning "literary sketch" is first recorded 1880, probably from the photographic sense.
Example
- 1. Vignette is well-placed to do more .
- 2. A fascinating vignette of family life .
- 3. Why not create a tabletop vignette featuring a variety of seasonal items ?
- 4. Key features include high contrast , adjusted colour balance and heavy vignette .
- 5. The title page vignette shows a man riding an elephant .