I. art 1 S1 W1 /ɑːt $ ɑːrt/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ art , ↑ artist , ↑ artistry ; adjective : ↑ artistic , ↑ arty ; adverb : ↑ artistically ]
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: Latin ars ]
1 . [uncountable] the use of painting, drawing, ↑ sculpture etc to represent things or express ideas:
the Museum of Modern Art in New York
an example of early Indian art
2 . [plural, uncountable] objects that are produced by art, such as paintings, drawings etc:
an art exhibition
an art critic
an arts and crafts fair
The exhibition features works of art by Picasso and Matisse.
3 . [uncountable] the skill of drawing or painting:
He’s very good at art.
an art teacher
art college
4 . the arts [plural] art, music, theatre, film, literature etc all considered together:
Government funding for the arts has been reduced.
5 . arts ( also the arts ) [plural] subjects you can study that are not scientific, for example history, languages etc ⇨ humanities
6 . [uncountable and countable] the ability or skill involved in doing or making something:
Television is ruining the art of conversation.
Writing advertisements is quite an art (=it is difficult to do) .
have/get something down to a fine art (=do something very well)
I’ve got the early morning routine down to a fine art.
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THESAURUS
■ types of art
▪ modern art art from the late 19th century until now:
I’m not very keen on modern art.
▪ contemporary art art that is being created now:
an exhibition of contemporary art
▪ Western art art in Europe and North America:
Velasquez was one of the greatest figures in the history of Western art.
▪ fine art art, especially painting, which is made to be beautiful or affect your emotions, rather than to be useful:
She wants to study fine art at college.
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the Royal Academy of Fine Arts
▪ abstract art paintings or images that consist of shapes or lines which do not look like people, places, or objects:
it’s almost impossible for any artist not to be influenced by Picasso’s abstract art.
▪ figurative art art that shows pictures of people, places, or objects:
In this country, we always feel more comfortable with figurative art.
▪ conceptual art a type of modern art, which shows ideas about the world:
In conceptual art, the idea behind the work of art holds as much importance as the artwork itself.
▪ applied art the use of artistic principles in the design of objects and images for people to use. This includes subjects such as fashion, jewellery design, architecture, and photography:
Van de Velde taught at the new school of applied art.
▪ primitive art art by people who live in societies where there is a very simple way of life and no modern technology or industry:
The interest in primitive art came about largely through the work of Gauguin.
▪ pop art art that shows ordinary objects that you find in people’s homes, which was made popular in the1960s by artists such as Andy Warhol:
The relationship of advertising to art was part of the pop art phenomenon in the 1960s.
▪ the visual arts painting, sculpture, and other art forms that you look at, not literature or music:
The approach to the visual arts has changed in the last two decades.
▪ the decorative arts the design and production of beautiful things for the home, such as furniture, pottery, and cloth:
The exhibition will also cover the decorative arts.
▪ the performing arts dance, music, or drama, done to entertain people:
San Diego’s School for the Creative and Performing Arts
▪ the plastic arts art that involves producing objects such as sculpures or pots:
the decline of the plastic arts in the fifth century
▪ performance art a type of art that can combine acting, dance, and other actions to express an idea:
It will be a mixture of live performance art, music and poetry in an informal club setting.
II. art 2 BrE AmE verb old-fashioned or biblical
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: eart ]
thou art a phrase meaning ‘you are’