vignette

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: vi=gnette

CIDE DICTIONARY

vignette, n. [F. vignette, fr. vigne a vine. See Vine, and cf. Vinette.].

•  A running ornament consisting of leaves and tendrils, used in Gothic architecture.  [1913 Webster]
•  A decorative design, originally representing vine branches or tendrils, at the head of a chapter, of a manuscript or printed book, or in a similar position; hence, by extension, any small picture in a book; hence, also, as such pictures are often without a definite bounding line, any picture, as an engraving, a photograph, or the like, which vanishes gradually at the edge.  [1913 Webster]
•  A picture, illustration, or depiction in words, esp. one of a small or dainty kind.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

vignette, v. t. 

 To make, as an engraving or a photograph, with a border or edge insensibly fading away.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

vignette, n. & v.
--n.
1 a short descriptive essay or character sketch.
2 an illustration or decorative design, esp. on the title-page of a book, not enclosed in a definite border.
3 a photograph or portrait showing only the head and shoulders with the background gradually shaded off.
--v.tr.
1 make a portrait of (a person) in vignette style.
2 shade off (a photograph or portrait).

Derivative

vignettist n.

Etymology

F, dimin. of vigne VINE

THESAURUS

vignette

Bildungsroman, Gothic novel, aquatint, autolithograph, black and white, block, block print, brouillon, cameo, cartoon, catalog, cataloging, character, character sketch, characterization, charcoal, charcoal drawing, chiaroscuro, chromolithograph, color print, comic novel, copperplate, copperplate print, crayon, crayon engraving, cut, delineation, depiction, description, design, details, detective novel, diagram, dime novel, doodle, draft, drawing, dreadful, ebauche, engravement, engraving, epistolary novel, erotic novel, esquisse, etching, evocation, graph, graphic account, graphotype, historical novel, image, imagery, impress, impression, imprint, itemization, limning, line drawing, linoleum-block print, lithograph, mezzotint, negative, nouvelle, novel, novel of character, novel of ideas, novel of incident, novel of manners, novel of sensibility, novelette, novella, particularization, pastel, pen-and-ink, pencil drawing, penny dreadful, photograph, picaresque novel, picture, pornographic novel, portrayal, print, problem novel, profile, proletarian novel, propaganda novel, psychological novel, regional novel, rendering, rendition, representation, river novel, roman, roman a clef, roman-fleuve, rough copy, rough draft, rough outline, rubber-block print, satirical novel, science-fiction novel, sentimental novel, shilling shocker, short story, short-short, silhouette, silver-print drawing, sinopia, sketch, sociological novel, specification, storiette, stream-of-consciousness novel, study, thesis novel, tracing, vivid description, wood engraving, woodblock, woodcut, woodprint, word painting, xylograph

ROGET THESAURUS

vignette

Ornament

N ornament, floridness c, adj, turgidity, turgescence, altiloquence, declamation, teratology, well-rounded periods, elegance, orotundity, inversion, antithesis, alliteration, paronomasia, figurativeness, flourish, flowers of speech, flowers of rhetoric, frills of style, euphuism, euphemism, big-sounding words, high-sounding words, macrology, sesquipedalia verba, Alexandrine, inflation, pretension, rant, bombast, fustian, prose run mad, fine writing, sesquipedality, Minerva press, phrasemonger, euphuist, euphemist, ornament, beautified, ornate, florid, rich, flowery, euphuistic, euphemistic, sonorous, high-sounding, big-sounding, inflated, swelling, tumid, turgid, turgescent, pedantic, pompous, stilted, orotund, high flown, high flowing, sententious, rhetorical, declamatory, grandiose, grandiloquent, magniloquent, altiloquent, sesquipedal, sesquipedalian, Johnsonian, mouthy, bombastic, fustian, frothy, flashy, flaming, antithetical, alliterative, figurative, artificial, ore rutundo, ornament, ornamentation, ornamental art, ornature, ornateness, adornment, decoration, embellishment, architecture, jewelry, garnish, polish, varnish, French polish, veneer, japanning, lacquer, gilding, plating, ormolu, enamel, cloisonn_e, cosmetics (in general), makeup, eye shadow, rouge, face powder, lipstick, blush, pattern, diaper, powdering, paneling, graining, pargeting, detail, repousse (convexity), texture, richness, tracery, molding, fillet, listel, strapwork, coquillage, flourish, fleur-de-lis, arabesque, fret, anthemion, egg and tongue, egg and dart, astragal, zigzag, acanthus, cartouche, pilaster, bead, beading, champleve ware, cloisonne ware, frost work, Moresque, Morisco, tooling, embroidery, brocade, brocatelle, galloon, lace, fringe, trapping, border, edging, trimming, hanging, tapestry, arras, millinery, ermine, drap d'or, wreath, festoon, garland, chaplet, flower, nosegay, bouquet, posy, daisies pied and violets blue, tassel knot, shoulder knot, apaulette, epaulet, aigulet, frog, star, rosette, bow, feather, plume, pompom, panache, aigrette, finery, frippery, gewgaw, gimcrack, tinsel, spangle, clinquant, pinchbeck, paste, excess of ornament, gaud, pride, illustration, illumination, vignette, fleuron, head piece, tail piece, cul-de-lampe, flowers of rhetoric, work of art, ornamented, beautified, ornate, rich, gilt, begilt, tesselated, festooned, champleve, cloisonne, topiary, smart, gay, trickly, flowery, glittering, new gilt, new spangled, fine as a Mayday queen, fine as a fivepence, fine as a carrot fresh scraped, pranked out, bedight, well-groomed, in full dress, dressed to kill, dressed to the nines, dressed to advantage, in Sunday best, en grand tenue, en grande toilette, in best bib and tucker, endimanche, showy, flashy, gaudy, garish, gairish, gorgeous, ornamental, decorative, becoming.

Engraving

N engraving, chalcography, line engraving, mezzotint engraving, stipple engraving, chalk engraving, dry point, bur, etching, aquatinta, chiseling, plate engraving, copperplate engraving, steel engraving, wood engraving, xylography, lignography, glyptography, cerography, lithography, chromolithography, photolithography, zincography, glyphography, xylograph, lignograph, glyptograph, cerograph, lithograph, chromolithograph, photolithograph, zincograph, glyphograph, holograph, impression, print, engraving, plate, steelplate, copperplate, etching, mezzotint, aquatint, lithotint, cut, woodcut, stereotype, graphotype, autotype, heliotype, graver, burin, etching point, style, plate, stone, wood block, negative, die, punch, stamp, printing, plate printing, copperplate printing, anastatic printing, color printing, lithographic printing, type printing, three-color process, illustration, illumination, half tone, photogravure, vignette, initial letter, cul de lampe, tailpiece, lapidary, lapidarian, insculptured, engraved, lapidary, sculpsit, imprimit.