vignette

Word family

vi·gnette /vɪˈnjet/ noun [countableC] formal

1. ALa short description in a book or play showing the typical features of a person or situation 〔书或剧本中对人物或场景的〕简介

2. TCNa small picture or design at the beginning or end of a book or chapter 〔书或章节开篇或结尾处的〕小装饰图案，花饰

Examples from the Corpus

vignette• A vignette is an illustration without border or frame, the picture shading off into the surrounding paper.• A vignette of working life in the coming years?• We suspect that the high concentration in the first clinical vignette was due to sampling too early.• His vignettes depict scenes of trapped journalists, straggling soldiers and gruesome battles.• Turning to my husband-to-be, Don used little vignettes to introduce John to the congregation.• They had all written pages and pages of vignettes about their lives.• In other cases the access would have to come indirectly through vignettes and case histories.

Origin vignette

(1700-1800) French vigne ( → VINE); because drawings in books often included vines

Chinese

Syllable

Corpus

BNC: 22141 COCA: 12114

vignette