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illustration Oeuvre

Oeuvre

[UH-vruh]

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, late 19th century

1.

Taken as a whole, the works of a particular artist or writer

2.

A piece of work from a particular artist

Examples of Oeuvre in a sentence

"The new exhibit at the museum celebrated the oeuvre of Pablo Picasso."

"The composer’s most famous oeuvre would be performed by the symphony."

About Oeuvre

"Oeuvre" is French for a particular piece of art, music, or writing, but the English usage of the word tends to apply to the full body of work from an artist. Go back a little further and you’ll find the French borrowed the term from the Latin word "opera."

Did you Know?

The definition of "oeuvre" can be a single piece of art, or it can be the complete body of work from an artist, taken as a whole. The dual definitions can be used interchangeably, which can be confusing. For this word, context is everything.

illustration Oeuvre

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