silhouette
Translation
silhouette, outline, shadow
Examples
The tree's silhouette stood against the sunset.
The tree's silhouette stood against the sunset.
She has a very slim silhouette.
She has a very slim silhouette.
Grammar Patterns
((of sth.)) a dark shape seen against a light surface The silhouette of the mountains was beautiful.
Similar Words
Synonyms: outline, contour, profile, shadow
Etymology
From French, named after Étienne de Silhouette, an 18th-century French finance minister known for his hobby of making cheap shadow portraits.
Memory Tips
Picture a person or object against a bright background, like a sunset, creating a dark shape. The word itself sounds elegant, like the shape it describes.