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vernissage

Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A private showing held before the opening of an art exhibition.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A private viewing of an art exhibition before it opens to the public.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French, varnishing, day before the official opening of an exhibition on which artists would varnish their paintings, vernissage, from vernis, varnish, from Old French; see varnish.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French vernissage, derived from the earlier habit of the artists to varnish their paintings the day before the opening of an exhibition.

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Examples

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synonyms (2)

Words with the same meaning

  1. preview
  2. private view

same context (19)

Words that are found in similar contexts

  1. Trisha
  2. artistical
  3. aveda
  4. bimonthly
  5. dramatick
  6. gold-medal
  7. hairy*censored*
  8. lordliest
  9. low-arched
  10. observers'
  11. opening
  12. parhelia
  13. presale
  14. reporters'
  15. stereopticon
  16. teen*censored*shot
  17. the
  18. vine-shaded
  19. wasin

cross-references (1)

Cross-references

  1. soft opening

Comments

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  • whichbe commented on the word vernissage

    A private showing or preview of an art collection.

    May 11, 2008

  • logosagogo commented on the word vernissage

    'Vernis' is French for 'varnish'. Oil paintings were (and still are, I think) protected by a coat of varnish. Folkloric-ly, this would take place in the last-minute rush, just before an opening, leading to the 'preview' of a collection being the 'varnishing'. Presumably with the artists friends pitching in.

    July 16, 2008

  • Gammerstang commented on the word vernissage

    (noun) - (1) A day before the exhibition of paintings on which exhibitors may retouch and varnish their pictures already hung. A private view of paintings before public exhibition. From the French word vernis, varnish.

    --Sir James Murray's New English Dictionary, 1928

    (2) Varnishing-day, a day before the opening of a picture exhibition, on which exhibitors have the privilege of retouching their pictures on the walls.

    --William Whitney's Century Dictionary, 1889

    January 16, 2018