[mo.sa.ic] n [ME musycke, fr. MF mosaique, fr. OIt mosaico, fr. ML musaicum, alter. of LL musivum, fr. L museum, musaeum] (15c) 1: a surface decoration made by inlaying small pieces of variously colored material to form pictures or patterns; also: the process of making it
2: a picture or design made in mosaic
3: something resembling a mosaic "a ~ of visions and daydreams and memories --Lawrence Shainberg"
4: an organism or one of its parts composed of cells of more than one genotype: chimera 3
5: a virus disease of plants characterized by diffuse light and dark green or yellow and green mottling of the foliage
6: a composite map made of photographs taken by an aircraft or spacecraft 7: the part of a television camera tube consisting of many minute photoelectric particles that convert light to an electric charge -- mo.sa.ic.like adj
[2]mosaic adj (1585) 1: of, relating to, produced by, or resembling a mosaic
2: exhibiting mosaicism
3: determinate
5. -- mo.sa.i.cal.ly adv [3]mosaic vt -icked ; -ick.ing (1839) 1: to decorate with mosaics
2: to form into a mosaic Mo.sa.ic adj [NL Mosaicus, fr. Moses Moses] (1662): of or relating to Moses or the institutions or writings attributed to him