/ ɑːt; NAmE ɑːrt/ noun , verb
■ noun
1.
[ U ] the use of the imagination to express ideas or feelings, particularly in painting, drawing or sculpture :
modern / contemporary / American art
an art critic / historian / lover
Can we call television art?
stolen works of art
Her performance displayed great art.
—see also clip art , fine art
2.
[ U ] examples of objects such as paintings, drawings or sculptures :
an art gallery / exhibition
a collection of art and antiques
3.
[ U ] the skill of creating objects such as paintings and drawings, especially when you study it :
She's good at art and design.
an art teacher / student / college / class
4.
the arts [ pl. ] art, music, theatre, literature, etc. when you think of them as a group :
lottery funding for the arts
—see also performing arts
5.
[ C ] a type of visual or performing art :
Dance is a very theatrical art.
6.
[ C , usually pl. ] the subjects you can study at school or university which are not scientific, such as languages, history or literature :
an arts degree
—compare science
7.
[ C , U ] an ability or a skill that you can develop with training and practice :
a therapist trained in the art of healing
Letter-writing is a lost art nowadays.
Appearing confident at interviews is quite an art (= rather difficult) .
•
IDIOMS
see fine adjective
■ verb
thou art ( old use ) used to mean 'you are', when talking to one person
••
WORD ORIGIN
noun Middle English : via Old French from Latin ars , art- .