See Also: grotesque(dictionary)
grotesque(encyclopedia)
grotesque 1, adjective(dictionary)
grotesque 2, noun(dictionary)

grotesque (iou)



grotesque noun & adjective. M16.
[French crotesque from (with assim. to Old French crote (mod. grotte) GROT noun2) Italian grottesca ellipt. use (for opera or pittura grottesca work or painting resembling a grotto) of fem. of grottesco, from grotta; finally assim. to French grotesque: see -ESQUE.]
A. noun. Also (esp. in sense 1b) in Italian form grottesco .
1. A style of decorative painting or sculpture consisting of a fantastic interweaving of human and animal forms with flowers and foliage. M16.
Evelyn The foliage and grotesque about some of the compartments are admirable.
b. A work of art, a figure or design in this style (usu. in pl.); loosely a comically distorted figure or design. M17.
C. G. Leland Adorned with fifteenth century grotesques.
2. A grotesque person or thing. M17.
M. Ayrton The sting-ray, that flat, long-tailed sea grotesque.
b. That which is grotesque. E19.
C. Peters The grotesque is rare in his mature work.
3. Typography. A sanserif type. L19.
B. adjective.
1. Architecture. In the style of a grotesque. E17.
R. W. Emerson Let there be grotesque sculpture about the gates and offices of temples.
2. Comically or repulsively distorted; unnatural, bizarre. M17.
H. Bascom The hammock, distorted by his body, casts a grotesque shadow.
b. Of landscape: romantic, picturesquely irregular. M17-M18.
R. Dodsley The more pleasing parts of this grotesque and hilly country.
3. Ludicrous from incongruity; fantastically absurd. M18.
Lytton O'Carroll gave a grotesque sort of signal between a wink and a beckon. M. Ignatieff Cabinet discussions which took on an increasingly grotesque and surreal character.
grotesquely adverb M18.
grotesqueness noun L18.
grotesquerie noun grotesque objects collectively; grotesque quality; an example of grotesqueness: L17.