masterpiece


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mas·ter·piece

 (măs′tər-pēs′)
n.
1. An outstanding work of art or craft.
2. The greatest work, as of an artist. Also called masterwork.
3. Something superlative of its kind: a masterpiece of political ingenuity.

[Probably translation of Dutch meesterstuk or German Meisterstück : Dutch meester and German Meister, master + Dutch stuk and German Stück, piece of work.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

masterpiece

(ˈmɑːstəˌpiːs) or less commonly

masterwork

n
1. an outstanding work, achievement, or performance
2. the most outstanding piece of work of a creative artist, craftsman, etc
[C17: compare Dutch meesterstuk, German Meisterstück, a sample of work submitted to a guild by a craftsman in order to qualify for the rank of master]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

mas•ter•piece

(ˈmæs tərˌpis, ˈmɑ stər-)

n.
1. a person's greatest piece of work, as in an art.
2. a fine example of skill or excellence: a masterpiece of improvisation.
3. a piece made by a person aspiring to the rank of master in a medieval guild.
[1570–80]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

masterpiece

- Originally, it was used in a technical or academic sense to apply to a work that was presented to a medieval guild for qualification as a "master."
See also related terms for technical.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.masterpiece - the most outstanding work of a creative artist or craftsmanmasterpiece - the most outstanding work of a creative artist or craftsman
piece of work, work - a product produced or accomplished through the effort or activity or agency of a person or thing; "it is not regarded as one of his more memorable works"; "the symphony was hailed as an ingenious work"; "he was indebted to the pioneering work of John Dewey"; "the work of an active imagination"; "erosion is the work of wind or water over time"
2.masterpiece - an outstanding achievement
accomplishment, achievement - the action of accomplishing something
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

masterpiece

noun classic, tour de force (French), pièce de résistance (French), magnum opus, master work, jewel, chef-d'oeuvre (French) His book is a masterpiece.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

masterpiece

noun
An outstanding and ingenious work:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
تُحْفَه فَنِّيَّه رائِعَهرَائِعَةٌ
mistrovské dílo
hovedværkmesterværk
mestariteos
chef d’œuvrechef-d’œuvrechef-d'œuvre
remek djelo
mestermű
meistaraverk, snilldarverk
傑作
걸작
majstrovské dielo
mojstrovina
mästerverk
งานชิ้นเอก
şaheserbaşyapıt
kiệt tác

masterpiece

[ˈmɑːstəpiːs] Nobra f maestra
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

masterpiece

[ˈmɑːstərpiːs] n
[artist, writer] → chef-d'œuvre m
to be sb's masterpiece [book, work of art] → être le chef-d'œuvre de qn
(= supreme example) a masterpiece of sth → un chef-d'œuvre de qchmaster plan nschéma m directeurmaster's degree Master's degree, master's [ˈmɑːstərz] nmaîtrise f
I've a master's in economics → J'ai une maîtrise d'économie.
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

masterpiece

[ˈmaːstəˌpiːs] ncapolavoro
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

master

(ˈmaːstə) feminine mistress (ˈmistris) noun
1. a person or thing that commands or controls. I'm master in this house!
2. an owner (of a slave, dog etc). The dog ran to its master.
3. a male teacher. the Maths master.
4. the commander of a merchant ship. the ship's master.
5. a person very skilled in an art, science etc. He's a real master at painting.
6. (with capital) a polite title for a boy, in writing or in speaking. Master John Smith.
adjective
(of a person in a job) fully qualified, skilled and experienced. a master builder/mariner/plumber.
verb
1. to overcome (an opponent, handicap etc). She has mastered her fear of heights.
2. to become skilful in. I don't think I'll ever master arithmetic.
ˈmasterful adjective
showing the power, authority or determination of a master. a masterful man.
ˈmasterfully adverb
ˈmasterfulness noun
ˈmasterly adjective
showing the skill of a master. His handling of the situation was masterly.
ˈmasterliness noun
ˈmastery noun
(usually with over or of) control, great skill or knowledge. We have gained mastery over the enemy.
master key
a key which opens a number of locks.
ˈmastermind noun
the person planning and controlling an undertaking or scheme. He was the mastermind behind the scheme.
verb
to plan (such a scheme). Who masterminded the robbery?
ˈmasterpiece noun
a piece of work or art worthy (to be called the greatest achievement) of a master. He considers this picture his masterpiece.
master stroke
a very clever thing to do. This sudden, unexpected attack was a master stroke.
master switch
a switch for controlling a number of other switches. There is a master switch that controls all the electricity.
master of ceremonies abbreviation ( MC)
a person who announces the various stages of an entertainment, formal social gathering, series of speakers at a dinner etc. The master of ceremonies introduced the speaker.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

masterpiece

رَائِعَةٌ mistrovské dílo mesterværk Meisterstück αριστούργημα obra maestra mestariteos chef d’œuvre remek djelo capolavoro 傑作 걸작 meesterstuk mesterverk arcydzieło obra-prima шедевр mästerverk งานชิ้นเอก şaheser kiệt tác 杰作
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
References in classic literature ?
A few more touches, and the masterpiece would be ready for purchase.
Lewis Carroll absolutely conquered the difficulties, but I am not sure that anyone after him until Hugh Lofting has really managed the trick; even in such a masterpiece as "The Wind in the Willows" we are not quite convinced.
He looked at the workmanship; there was not one false stitch in the whole job; all was so neat and true, that it was quite a masterpiece.
And, in so far as he could direct, he varied not one jot from the details of that vividly conceived masterpiece of hellishness during the twenty years which followed.
Then followed a speech, a masterpiece of rhetoric, which occupied nearly a day in the delivery, and to which no summary can do justice.
Imagine my surprise when he said it was a masterpiece, and offered me thirty thousand francs.
It was a masterpiece of its kind, and bid defiance to all the projectiles of the world.
"Upon my word I am astonished," said Mrs Western; "this is, indeed, a masterpiece of assurance.
The pint-pots were great strokes of genius: but the milk-can was a perfect masterpiece.'
She soon after left the studio, bearing with her, in her memory, the image of a man's head, as beauteous as that of the Endymion, a masterpiece of Girodet's which she had lately copied.
If they would only show you a masterpiece of art, or a venerable tomb, or a prison-house, or a battle-field, hallowed by touching memories or historical reminiscences, or grand traditions, and then step aside and hold still for ten minutes and let you think, it would not be so bad.
There was something pathetic in it, as in the endeavour of an artist in his old age to equal the masterpieces of his youth - for the Tweed's famous passages were Captain S-'s masterpieces.