Illustration of bas-relief
bas-relief
noun
bas-re·lief ˌbä-ri-ˈlēf 
ˌbas-,
ˌbās-;
ˈbä-ri-ˌlēf,
ˈbas-,
ˈbās-
art : sculptural relief (see relief entry 1 sense 6) in which the projection from the surrounding surface is slight and no part of the modeled form is undercut (see undercut entry 1 sense 2)
also : sculpture executed in bas-relief
a limestone bas-relief of a female figure
Did you know?
The best way to understand the meaning of bas-relief is to see one—and the easiest way to do that is to look at a penny, nickel, or other coin and examine the raised images on it; they're all bas-reliefs. English speakers adopted bas-relief from French (where bas means "low" and relief means "raised work") during the mid-1600s; earlier, we borrowed the synonymous basso-relievo from Italian. The French and Italian terms have common ancestors (and, in fact, the French word is likely a translation of the Italian), but English speakers apparently borrowed the two independently. Bas-relief is more prevalent in English today, although the Italian-derived term has not disappeared completely from the language.
Word History
Etymology
French, from bas low + relief raised work
First Known Use
1667, in the meaning defined above
- of mine
- of moment
- of natural causes
- of necessity
- of no avail
- of note
- of old
- of one kind or another
- of one kind/sort/type or another
- of one mind
- of one sort or another
- of one type or another
- of one's acquaintance
- of one's choice
- of one's own accord
- of one's own making
- of one's own volition
- of one's very own
- of one's word
- of ours
- of parts
- of recent origin
- of record
- of renown
- of right