n. & v.
n. 1 a a picture or pattern produced by an arrangement of small variously coloured pieces of glass or stone etc. b work of this kind as an art form. 2 a diversified thing. 3 an arrangement of photosensitive elements in a television camera. 4 Biol. a chimera. 5 (in full mosaic disease) a virus disease causing leaf-mottling in plants, esp. tobacco, maize, and sugar cane. 6 (attrib.) a of or like a mosaic. b diversified.
v.tr. (mosaicked, mosaicking) 1 adorn with mosaics. 2 combine into or as into a mosaic. mosaic gold 1 tin disulphide. 2 an alloy of copper and zinc used in cheap jewellery etc. mosaicist n.
[ ME f. F mosaïque f. It. mosaico f. med.L mosaicus, musaicus f. Gk mous(e)ion mosaic work f. mousa MUSE(1) ]