Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A form of ornament or ornamental design which can be shown to be due originally to the nature of the material and the method of working it, or to technique. The forms and patterns originating in a certain technique may then be further modified or copied in other material.
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
From Ancient Greek σκεῦος (skeuos, "vessel, implement") + μορφή (morphē, "form").
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Examples
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A skeuomorph is a design feature copied from a similar artifact in another material.
Week in Words Erin McKean 2011
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The word "pre-roll" is what the magazine New Scientist called a "linguistic skeuomorph."
Week in Words Erin McKean 2011
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A number of people pointed out that this is an example of a skeuomorph, "a derivative object that retains ornamental design cues to a structure that was necessary in the original."
Boing Boing Cory Doctorow 2012
devans00 commented on the word skeuomorph
A design feature copied from a similar artifact in another material, even when not functionally necessary. For example, the click sound of a shutter in an analog camera that is now reproduced in a digital camera by playing a sound clip.
A skeuomorph can be employed for various purposes. Since people are used to the click sound of a camera as feedback that the picture has been taken, it is now artificially-produced in digital cameras. Other examples are copper cladding on a zinc penny (for familiarity) and wood finish on a plastic product (for a more expensive look).
A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg
An ornament or design on an object copied from a form of the object when made from another material or by other techniques, as an imitation metal rivet mark found on handles of prehistoric pottery.
Dictionary.com
October 7, 2008
jmjarmstrong commented on the word skeuomorph
JM looks around and recognises a host of skeuomorphs and wonders is it also a career goal?
February 12, 2009
trochee commented on the word skeuomorph
"A complacency artifact is an interaction interface skeuomorph."
March 4, 2011
fissionchips commented on the word skeuomorph
As seen here: http://boingboing.net/2012/01/17/in-praise-of-skeuomorphs.html#disqus_thread
January 18, 2012