Definition
The dark outline or profile of something visible against a lighter background. A representation of someone or something showing only the outline.
Etymology
Named after Étienne de Silhouette, an 18th-century French finance minister known for his austere economic policies. Portrait silhouettes became popular as a cheap alternative to painted portraits, reflecting his reputation for frugality.
Kelly Says
The transformation from a person's surname to a common word happened because Silhouette's penny-pinching policies made his name synonymous with anything cheap or reduced to its bare essentials. These shadow portraits became the Instagram of the 1700s - quick, affordable, and surprisingly artistic.
Translations
ARالعربية
صورة ظلية
soura zilia
BNবাংলা
ছায়ামূর্তি
chhayamurti
CACatalà
silueta
/si.lʊ.ɛ.tə/
CSČeština
silueta
/si.lu.ɛ.ta/
DADansk
silhuet
/siˈlʉɛt/
DEDeutsch
Silhouette
/zi.loˈɛt/
ELΕλληνικά
σιλουέτα
siloueta
ESEspañol
silueta
si-lue-ta
FISuomi
silhuetti
/silhuetti/
FRFrançais
silhouette
/si.lwɛt/
GUGU
છાયાચિત્ર
chhayachitra
HAHA
hoton silueta
ho-ton si-lue-ta
HUMagyar
sziluett
/si.lʊ.ɛt/
IDBahasa Indonesia
siluet
si-lue-t
ITItaliano
silhouette
/si.lwɛt/
MSBahasa Melayu
siluet
si-lue-t
NLNederlands
silhouet
/si.lʋɛt/
NONorsk
silhuett
/si.lʉɛt/
PLPolski
sylwetka
/sɨlˈvɛt.ka/
PTPortuguês
silhueta
sil-hue-ta
RORomână
siluetă
/si.lʷe.tə/
SVSvenska
silhuett
/si.lʉɛt/
SWKiswahili
suruali
su-ra-u-li
TAதமிழ்
நிழலுருவம்
nizhaluruvam
TEతెలుగు
నిర్మాణం
nirmanam
UKУкраїнська
силует
siluet
VITiếng Việt
hình bóng
hinh-bong
ZUZU
isilwati
i-si-lwa-ti