vignette

  1. Noun.  (architecture) A running ornament consisting of leaves and tendrils, used in Gothic architecture.
  2. Noun.  (printing) A decorative design, originally representing vine branches or tendrils, at the head of a chapter, of a manuscript or printed book, or in a similar position.
  3. Noun.  (context, by extension) Any small borderless picture in a book, especially an engraving, photograph, or the like, which vanishes gradually at the edge.
  4. Noun.  (context, by extension) A short story that presents a scene or tableau, or paints a picture.
  5. Noun.  The small picture on a postage stamp.
  6. Verb.  To make, as an engraving or a photograph, with a border or edge gradually fading away.

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This entry was last updated on RefTopia from its source on 3/20/2012.