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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Virtu \Vir*tu"\ (?; 277), noun [It. virt['u] virtue, excellence, from L. virtus. See {Virtue}.] A love of the fine arts; a taste for curiosities. --J. Spence.
{An article of virtu}, or {a piece of virtu}, an object of art or antiquity; a curiosity, such as those found in museums or private collections.
I had thoughts, in my chambers to place it in view, To be shown to my friends as a piece of virt['u]. --Goldsmith.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
virtu
noun
1: love of or taste for fine objects of art [syn: {vertu}, {connoisseurship}]
2: artistic quality [syn: {vertu}]
3: objet d'art collectively (especially fine antiques)
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
43 Moby Thesaurus words for "virtu": aesthetics, art, art object, artistic skill, artistic taste, artistry, arty-craftiness, brainchild, bric-a-brac, classic, composition, connoisseurship, creation, design, dilettantism, epicureanism, epicurism, expertise, expertism, flair, friandise, gastronomy, grotesque, kitsch, master, masterpiece, masterwork, mobile, museum piece, nude, old master, pasticcio, pastiche, piece, piece of virtu, stabile, statue, still life, study, talent, virtuosity, work, work of art
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Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |