[ ˌdʌɪə'rα:mə ]
■ noun
1》 a model representing a scene with three-dimensional figures.
↘a miniature film set used for special effects or animation.
2》 chiefly historical a scenic painting, viewed through a peephole, in which changes in illumination simulate changes in the weather and time of day.
Origin
C19: Fr., from dia- , on the pattern of panorama .