masterpiece

[ mas-ter-pees, mah-ster- ]

/ ˈmæs tərˌpis, ˈmɑ stər- /

a person's greatest piece of work, as in an art.

anything done with masterly skill: a masterpiece of improvisation.

a consummate example of skill or excellence of any kind: The chef's cake was a masterpiece.

a piece made by a person aspiring to the rank of master in a guild or other craft organization as a proof of competence.

Origin of masterpiece

1570–80; master + piece, modeled on Dutch meesterstuk, German Meisterstück

The masterpiece is huge, but structurally flawed and terribly vulnerable to seismic activity.

Florence Preps ‘David’ for the Big One |Barbie Latza Nadeau |December 25, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
In the masterpiece Mr. Turner, Mike Leigh translates the soul of his characters on screen.

Mike Leigh Is the Master Filmmaker Who Hates Hollywood |Nico Hines |October 14, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Two decades on from his masterpiece on anti-Americanism abroad, Whit Stillman remains obsessed with native-expat dynamics.

Whit Stillman on the 20th Anniversary of ‘Barcelona’, His New Amazon Series, and the Myth of the Ugly Expat |Michael Weiss |August 10, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Think twice about filming that two-minute masterpiece and making yourself the next Paris Hilton (if you're lucky).

So You Want to be a Porn Star? Inside the Sex Tape Phenomenon |Aurora Snow |July 19, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Did it have anything to do with you starring with Zac Efron in the masterpiece that was Charlie St. Cloud?

Dave Franco Uncut: The Actor on ’22 Jump Street,’ ‘The Room,’ and His Bro’s Nude Instagrams |Marlow Stern |June 13, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Inspiration, alone, dictated this masterpiece; it rose from the composer's soul like a cry of love!

Massimilla Doni |Honore de Balzac
Malgaigne declares Chauliac's "Chirurgia Magna" to be "a masterpiece of learned and luminous writing."

Old-Time Makers of Medicine |James J. Walsh
Sick and beaten, Paul took the masterpiece back to his skylight room.

The Man Upstairs |P. G. Wodehouse
This letter was not, in my eyes, a masterpiece, but neither was it from a vulgar hand.

The Memoirs of Madame de Montespan, Complete |Madame La Marquise De Montespan
There is a play of line in the mullions, which, considering their size and strength, may be pronounced quite a masterpiece of art.

Seeing Europe with Famous Authors, Volume 3 |Various

masterpiece

/ (ˈmɑːstəˌpiːs) /

an outstanding work, achievement, or performance

the most outstanding piece of work of a creative artist, craftsman, etc

C17: compare Dutch meesterstuk, German Meisterstück, a sample of work submitted to a guild by a craftsman in order to qualify for the rank of master