English Dictionary | Thesaurus | Translator | COBUILD Grammar Patterns | Scrabble | Blog
  • English
  • This page in
    American
    Italiano
    Deutsch
    Español
    Português
    हिंदी
    简体中文
| Sign Up | Log In
 
English
Menu
English Dictionary Thesaurus Translator Grammar Scrabble Blog
  • English
  • This page in
    American
    Italiano
    Deutsch
    Español
    Português
    हिंदी
    简体中文
Sign Up Log In

Definition of 'bas-relief'

Word Frequency

bas-relief

(bɑːrɪliːf , bæs-)
Word forms: plural bas-reliefs
1. uncountable noun
Bas-relief is a technique of sculpture in which shapes are carved so that they stand out from the background.
...a classic white bas-relief design.
2. countable noun
A bas-relief is a sculpture carved on a surface so that it stands out from the background.
...columns decorated with bas-reliefs.
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency

bas-relief in British

(ˌbɑːrɪˈliːf , ˌbæs-, ˈbɑːrɪˌliːf , ˈbæs-) or bass-relief (ˌbeɪsrɪˈliːf)
noun
sculpture in low relief, in which the forms project slightly from the background but no part is completely detached from it
. Also called (Italian): basso rilievo
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin of 'bas-relief'
C17: from French, from Italian basso rilievo low relief; see base2, relief
Word Frequency

bas-relief in American

(ˌbɑrɪˈlif ; bäˌrilēfˈ; ˌ bæsrɪˈlif ; basˌrilēfˈ)
noun
sculpture in which figures are carved in a flat surface so that they project only a little from the background
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin of 'bas-relief'
Fr < It basso-rilievo: see basso & relief

Example sentences containing 'bas-relief'

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…
A full-size, bas-relief locomotive, driven by skeletons, appearing to burst from a tunnel. Clive Barker THE GREAT AND SECRET SHOW (2001)Round her neck hung a pendant of reddish gold, ornamented with roses in bas-relief. Kerr, Katharine A TIME OF WAR (2001)
She crouched opposite him, on the far side of the little lamp, under the bas-relief of Sobek and Isis. Silverberg, Robert THEBES OF THE HUNDRED GATES (2001)

Trends of 'bas-relief'

Used Rarely. bas-relief is in the lower 50% of commonly used words in the Collins dictionary

View usage for:

Nearby words of 'bas-relief'

  • barytone
  • bas bleu
  • Bas Mitzvah
  • bas-relief
  • Bas-Rhin
  • basal
  • basal anaesthesia

  • All ENGLISH words that begin with 'B'

Source

Definition of bas-relief from the Collins English Dictionary

Joining clauses

Coordination The process called coordination joins two short clauses of equal importance with a conjunction. Each clause becomes a main clause in the new sentence. Ann went to the bank and withd...
Read more about 'Joining clauses'
Word of the day:
nectarivorous
feeding on nectar
See full definition
Apr 24, 2018
Take better control of your finances with these simple steps
Do you find yourself living paycheque to paycheque? Dr Peter Brooks offers his advice to make that money last
Read more
The etymology behind 4 eggs-ellent Springtime words
We’ve explored the diverse etymology of 4 eggs-ellent words associated with spring.
Read more
Up Lit, Alexa Laugh & Meet Me at McDonald’s Hair: March’s Words In The News
Catch up on the latest words in the news this March with Robert Groves.
Read more
Join the Collins community
All the latest wordy news, linguistic insights, offers and competitions every month.
Read more
Latest Word Submissions
Barrecore Apr 18, 2018
wido Apr 18, 2018
centimorgan Apr 17, 2018
gender expansive Apr 16, 2018
Carthritis Apr 15, 2018
Submit View More
Browse the English Dictionary
  • #
  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
  • N
  • O
  • P
  • Q
  • R
  • S
  • T
  • U
  • V
  • W
  • X
  • Y
  • Z
View all dictionaries...
  • View more
  • API
  • B2B Partnerships
  • Advertising
  • Word Banks
  • Collins COBUILD
  • Collins ELT
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact us
  • Languages
  • English
  • Thesaurus
  • Grammar
  • French
  • German
  • Spanish
  • Italian
  • Chinese
  • Portuguese
  • Hindi
  • Word Lists
  • Word of the Year
  • Scrabble
  • COBUILD Anniversary
© Collins 2018