| Mosaic | n. [ F. mosaïque; cf. Pr. mozaic, musec, Sp. & Pg. mosaico, It. mosaico, musaico, LGr. &unr_;, &unr_;, L. musivum; all fr. Gr. &unr_; belonging to the Muses. See Muse the goddess. ] 1. (Fine Arts) A surface decoration made by inlaying in patterns small pieces of variously colored glass, stone, or other material; -- called also mosaic work. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. A picture or design made in mosaic; an article decorated in mosaic. [ 1913 Webster ] 3. Something resembling a mosaic{ 1 }; something made up of different pieces, fitted together by design to form a unified composition. [ PJC ] aerial mosaic An aerial photograph of a large area, made by carefully fitting together aerial photographs of smaller areas so that the edges match in location, and the whole provides a continuous image of the larger area. Called also mosaic map and photomosaic. -- mosaic virus A type of plant virus that causes green and yellow mottling of leaves of a plant. A much-studied type is the tobacco mosaic virus, affecting the tobacco plant. [ PJC ]
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| Mosaic | a. Of or pertaining to the style of work called mosaic; formed by uniting pieces of different colors; variegated; tessellated; also, composed of various materials or ingredients. [ 1913 Webster ] A very beautiful mosaic pavement. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ] Florentine mosaic. See under Florentine. -- Mosaic gold. (a) See Ormolu. (b) Stannic sulphide, SnS2, obtained as a yellow scaly crystalline powder, and used as a pigment in bronzing and gilding wood and metal work. It was called by the alchemists aurum musivum, or aurum mosaicum. Called also bronze powder. -- Mosaic work. See Mosaic, n. [ 1913 Webster ]
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| Mosaic | prop. a. [ From Moses. ] Of or pertaining to Moses, the leader of the Israelites, or established through his agency; as, the Mosaic law, rites, or institutions. [ 1913 Webster ] |