SILHOUETTE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does silhouette mean? 

• SILHOUETTE (noun)
  The noun SILHOUETTE has 2 senses:

1. an outline of a solid object (as cast by its shadow)

2. a drawing of the outline of an object; filled in with some uniform color

  Familiarity information: SILHOUETTE used as a noun is rare.

• SILHOUETTE (verb)
  The verb SILHOUETTE has 2 senses:

1. project on a background, such as a screen, like a silhouette

2. represent by a silhouette

  Familiarity information: SILHOUETTE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SILHOUETTE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An outline of a solid object (as cast by its shadow)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Hypernyms ("silhouette" is a kind of...):

lineation; outline (the line that appears to bound an object)

Derivation:

silhouette (project on a background, such as a screen, like a silhouette)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A drawing of the outline of an object; filled in with some uniform color

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("silhouette" is a kind of...):

drawing (a representation of forms or objects on a surface by means of lines)

Derivation:

silhouette (represent by a silhouette)

• SILHOUETTE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they silhouette    ... he / she / it silhouettes   
Past simple: silhouetted   
Past participle: silhouetted   
-ing form: silhouetting   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Project on a background, such as a screen, like a silhouette

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Hypernyms (to "silhouette" is one way to...):

project (project on a screen)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

silhouette (an outline of a solid object (as cast by its shadow))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Represent by a silhouette

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "silhouette" is one way to...):

interpret; represent (create an image or likeness of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

silhouette (a drawing of the outline of an object; filled in with some uniform color)

 Context examples 

In the background a volcano crater was silhouetted against the stars.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

His rooms were brilliantly lit, and, even as I looked up, I saw his tall, spare figure pass twice in a dark silhouette against the blind.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The resulting average silhouette width is a useful measure of classification quality.

(Modified Partitioning Around Medoids, NCI Thesaurus)

Again we saw the dim silhouette of a crouching man and the whisk of the small flame across the window as the signals were renewed.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It was the Indian, whose dark silhouette appeared suddenly upon his blind.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Entering the gate and passing the shrubs, the silhouette of a house rose to view, black, low, and rather long; but the guiding light shone nowhere.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

As the circumstances of my fall came back into my confused brain, I looked up in terror, expecting to see that dreadful head silhouetted against the paling sky.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Before the sun dipped below the black mass of Kettleness, standing boldly athwart the western sky, its downward way was marked by myriad clouds of every sunset-colour—flame, purple, pink, green, violet, and all the tints of gold; with here and there masses not large, but of seemingly absolute blackness, in all sorts of shapes, as well outlined as colossal silhouettes.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

He stood near the window, his grey silhouette thrown up against the square of dusty glass; and I have never seen such a play of evil passions, of anger, of jealousy, of disappointed greed upon a human face before.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The face was turned half-round, and the effect was that of one of those black silhouettes which our grandparents loved to frame.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)