Oeuvre
[UH-vruh]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: French, late 19th century
1.
Taken as a whole, the works of a particular artist or writer
2.
A piece of work from a particular artist
Examples of Oeuvre in a sentence
"The new exhibit at the museum celebrated the oeuvre of Pablo Picasso."
"The composer’s most famous oeuvre would be performed by the symphony."
About Oeuvre
"Oeuvre" is French for a particular piece of art, music, or writing, but the English usage of the word tends to apply to the full body of work from an artist. Go back a little further and you’ll find the French borrowed the term from the Latin word "opera."
Did you Know?
The definition of "oeuvre" can be a single piece of art, or it can be the complete body of work from an artist, taken as a whole. The dual definitions can be used interchangeably, which can be confusing. For this word, context is everything.
