silhouette

• n. 轮廓，剪影
• vt. 使…照出影子来；使…仅仅显出轮廓
• n. (Silhouette)人名；(法)西卢埃特

来自 18 世纪欧洲七年战争时期的法国财务部长 Etienne de Silhouette,因在战争时期实施紧缩 的财政政策而遭到过惯了奢靡生活的其它贵族的愤恨，因而引申该词义。同时，也有另一种 观点认为是因该财务部长用类似剪影图片装饰自家城堡而得名。

1. an outline of a solid object (as cast by its shadow)

2. a drawing of the outline of an object; filled in with some uniform color

silhouette

silhouette: [18] The term silhouette commemorates the name of the French author and politician Étienne de Silhouette (1709–67). As finance minister in the late 1750s he gained a reputation for cheeseparing, and silhouette came to be used for anything skimped. One account of the application of the word to a ‘simple cut-out picture’ is that it carries on this notion of ‘simplicity’ or ‘lack of finish’, but an alternative theory is that Silhouette himself was in the habit of making such pictures. The metaphorical use of the term for a ‘dark image against a bright background’ emerged in the mid-19th century.

silhouette (n.)

1798, from French silhouette, in reference to Étienne de Silhouette (1709-1767), French minister of finance in 1759. Usually said to be so called because it was an inexpensive way of making a likeness of someone, a derisive reference to Silhouette's petty economies to finance the Seven Years' War, which were unpopular among the nobility. But other theories are that it refers to his brief tenure in office, or the story that he decorated his chateau with such portraits.

Silhouette portraits were so called simply because they came into fashion in the year (1759) in which M. de Silhouette was minister. [A. Brachet, "An Etymological Dictionary of the French Language," transl. G.W. Kitchin, 1882]

Used of any sort of dark outline or shadow in profile from 1843. The verb is recorded from 1876, from the noun. The family name is a Frenchified form of a Basque surname; Arnaud de Silhouette, the finance minister's father, was from Biarritz in the French Basque country; the southern Basque form of the name would be Zuloeta or Zulueta, which contains the suffix -eta "abundance of" and zulo "hole" (possibly here meaning "cave").

the silhouette of chimneys and towers

烟囱和塔楼的轮廓

牛津词典

The mountains stood out in silhouette .

群山的轮廓衬托了出来。

牛津词典

The dress is fitted to give you a flattering silhouette.

穿这件连衣裙，你显得更有身段了。

牛津词典

A figure stood in the doorway, silhouetted against the light.

门口站着一个人，屋里的亮光映衬出他的轮廓。

牛津词典

The dark silhouette of the castle ruins stood out boldly against the fading light.

城堡遗迹的黑色轮廓在暮色映衬下清晰可见。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

...the distinctive silhouette of his ears...

他耳朵的奇特形状

柯林斯高阶英语词典

The shirt's ideal worn loose over leggings or tuck it in for a streamlined silhouette.

这件衬衫最好是松松垮垮地穿在紧身裤外面，或者是塞进裤子里以显出苗条的身材。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Even from behind in silhouette, Billy recognized the figure.

即便看到的只是背影的轮廓，比利还是认出了那个人影。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Entering the gate and passing the shrubs, the silhouette of a house rose to view.

走进门,经过灌木丛, 一所房子的侧影便出现在眼前.

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Its once animated silhouette was now a tall motionless steeple in the twilight sun.

在落日的衬托下,曾经散发着生气的风车如今如耸立的尖塔般冰冷、硬.

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Notice the lack of self occlusion or definition on the silhouette of the object.

注意物体表面没有自遮挡或者本影区域.

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Still, the Moon's silhouette highlighted by these glistening diamonds as the total eclipse phase ended.

不过全食阶段结束的生光瞬间,仍然可以看见闪亮的钻石镶在月亮剪影上.

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Good Silhouette – Thellos is staged much more in silhouette.

好的动画片剪影――这个看起来就好很多.

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There are a line of bald trees silhouette against the horizon.

在地平线上现出一排光秃秃的树.

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The ship appeared as a distinct silhouette.

这艘船显现出清晰的轮廓.

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The fireballs cooled toand a single sleek silhouette emerged: one of the Covenant destroyers had survived.

火球冷却成了橘红色,一个侧影出现了: 一艘圣约人驱逐舰幸存了下来.

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I could see its black silhouette against the evening sky.

我能看到夜幕下它黑色的轮廓.

《简明英汉词典》

The body's newly sculpted silhouette should therefore remain constant after the procedure.

因此,塑造过的新体形也应在手术后保持不变.

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However as one moves around it the silhouette is undermined and the upholsterythe voids the chair.

但当你绕着他看的时候,这种轮廓感就被破坏了,换来的是椅子营造的空间感.非常适合闲时坐坐.

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They won't set off a metal detector, nor do they have any distinguishing silhouette.

它们不会触发金属探测器, 也没有任何可以识别的外形轮廓.

辞典例句

As the night curtain drew , the branches formed a lonely silhouette against the dark sky.

当天色渐渐地暗沉下来, 树枝在夜色中形成孤独的剪影.

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He drew the city in silhouette.

他勾勒出这个城市的轮廓.

《简明英汉词典》

Saw the dark silhouette of the family waving farewell.

看见挥手道别的那一家人的黑色剪影.

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How I long to know this stranger in silhouette.

我是多么渴望了解侧影中的这个陌生人啊!

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Narrow shoulders, a small tight waist and full hips were the characteristic features of silhouette.

文艺复兴时期女装的主要特点是肩部窄小 、 腰部紧贴、臀部夸张.

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It was foggy, a silhouette of the remote mountains could be barely seen.

他从头等舱皮椅左边的窗口斜着头朝外望去,外面雾蒙蒙的, 连远山的轮廓都几乎看不见.

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His silhouette appeared on the curtain.

他的侧面影像出现在窗帘上.

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While her fingers searched for the flap she looked at the Queen's silver silhouette.

在她用手指摸索信封口盖时她看到了女王银色的侧面像.

期刊摘选