Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A style of art, especially architecture and decorative art, that originated in France in the early 1700s and is marked by elaborate ornamentation, as with a profusion of scrolls, foliage, and animal forms.
  • noun A very ornate style of speech or writing.
  • noun Music A style of composition arising in the 1700s in France, often viewed as an extension of the baroque, and characterized by a high degree of ornamentation and lightness of expression.
  • adjective Of or relating to the rococo.
  • adjective Immoderately elaborate or complicated.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A variety of ornament originating in the Louis-Quatorze style and continuing with constantly increasing inorganic exaggeration and extravagance throughout the artistic degeneracy of the Louis-Quinze.
  • noun Especially— A kind of China-ribbon embroidery.
  • noun A kind of Roman work.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Of or pertaining to the style called rococo; like rococo; florid; fantastic.
  • noun A florid style of ornamentation which prevailed in Europe in the latter part of the eighteenth century.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A style of baroque architecture and decorative art, from 18th century France, having elaborate ornamentation.
  • adjective Of, or relating to the rococo style.
  • adjective Over-elaborate or complicated.
  • adjective Old-fashioned.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun fanciful but graceful asymmetric ornamentation in art and architecture that originated in France in the 18th century
  • adjective having excessive asymmetrical ornamentation

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French, probably alteration of rocaille, rockwork, from roc, rock, variant of roche, from Vulgar Latin *rocca.]

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Examples

  • In one shot she poses in a loud kimono-style dress and caresses the tail of a stuffed pheasant that forms part of what can only be described as a rococo charcuterie ensemble.

    Delizia! John Dickie 2008

  • Enlightenment, to realism, though on occasion it has affinities with what could be called rococo in its artistic style.

    CLASSICISM IN LITERATURE REN 1968

  • The stitch illustrated in fig. 87 is known as rococo stitch.

    Embroidery and Tapestry Weaving Grace Christie

  • This style, which is called rococo, corresponds to what in literature is known as preciosity; but towards the middle of the eighteenth century classical forms were revived, especially in the works of the famous architects Vanvitelli and Juvara, while Canova restored its simplicity to sculpture, combining the study of nature with that of classic forms.

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 8: Infamy-Lapparent 1840-1916 1913

  • The stitch between these groups is generally known as the rococo stitch.

    Encyclopedia of Needlework Th��r��se de Dillmont 1868

  • Call it "rococo," call it "baroque" in its passion for ornamentation and its uninhibited excess.

    Peter Clothier: Miriam Wosk 1947 - 2010: A Tribute by Peter Clothier Peter Clothier 2010

  • Still, if "rococo" could be applied to dressing, this would be it ...

    A Bit of Fluff: Late Baroque Fashions Heather McDougal 2007

  • Except -- now I see the lyrics written down, I realize I always thought one bit said 'rococo' and it actually says 'cope cope cope', which gives a very different feel!

    good lord! a music meme ginger_princess 2005

  • Louis XV was the period when outline and decoration were merged in one and the _shell_ which figured in Louis XIV merely as an ornament, gave its form (in a curved outline) and its name "rococo" (Italian for shell) to the style.

    The Art of Interior Decoration Grace Wood

  • The palace and front garden are in unattractive "rococo" style, especially the rooms occupied by Frederick the Great; but the gardens in the rear of the palace are large and most attractive.

    In and Around Berlin Minerva Brace Norton

Comments

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  • http://www.rocococamp.info/

    February 9, 2007

  • this is such a cute word!

    February 11, 2009

  • stephie is a rococo nut.

    February 11, 2009

  • From p. 39 of Patrick Leigh Fermor's "A Time to Keep Silence":

    Beyond, the grey buildings rose--the tall Norman refectory, The Duke de Stacpoole's fanciful arches, the Gothic quadrangular well of the cloisters, the high stone girdle of the Abbey pierced by the Abbé de Jarente's great doorway, scalloped and rococo.

    January 21, 2014