silhouette

[ sil-oo-et ]
/ ˌsɪl uˈɛt /

noun

a two-dimensional representation of the outline of an object, as a cutout or configurational drawing, uniformly filled in with black, especially a black-paper, miniature cutout of the outlines of a person's face in profile.
the outline or general shape of something: the slim silhouette of a skyscraper.
a dark image outlined against a lighter background.

verb (used with object), sil·hou·et·ted, sil·hou·et·ting.

to show in or as if in a silhouette.
Printing. to remove the background details from (a halftone cut) so as to produce an outline effect.

Origin of silhouette

1790–1800; < French à la silhouette, after Etienne de Silhouette (1709–67), French finance minister

OTHER WORDS FROM silhouette

un·sil·hou·et·ted, adjective

Words nearby silhouette

Example sentences from the Web for silhouetted

British Dictionary definitions for silhouetted

silhouette
/ (ˌsɪluːˈɛt) /

noun

the outline of a solid figure as cast by its shadow
an outline drawing filled in with black, often a profile portrait cut out of black paper and mounted on a light ground

verb

(tr) to cause to appear in silhouette

Word Origin for silhouette

C18: named after Étienne de Silhouette (1709–67), French politician, perhaps referring to silhouettes as partial portraits, with a satirical allusion to Silhouette's brief career as controller general (1759)