mosaic
mosaic — adjective
1. created by pressing tiny coloured fragments of stone, glass, or ceramic into a b
created by pressing tiny coloured fragments of stone, glass, or ceramic into a base to produce a decorated surface or picture.
The old church has a beautiful mosaic floor that was laid in the 12th century.
attributive: mosaic + noun (floor, tile, artwork)
Camille bought a mosaic tabletop with patterns of blue and green glass pieces.
The bathroom walls are covered in mosaic tiles that shimmer when the sun hits them.
Kofi admired the mosaic artwork installed on the wall of the town square.
Hoa's necklace featured a small mosaic pendant made of colourful polished stones.
- tiled
broader — refers to any covering of tiles, not necessarily decorative patterns
- inlaid
different technique — pieces are set into a cut-out surface rather than placed side by side
- tessellated
formal term for patterns of small shapes that fit together without gaps
文法句型
mosaic + noun
用法筆記
Almost always used before a noun — you would say 'mosaic floor', not 'the floor is mosaic'. The word describes the construction method, not just the appearance.
常見錯誤
2. connected with Moses — the Hebrew leader who, according to the Bible, received t
connected with Moses — the Hebrew leader who, according to the Bible, received the Ten Commandments from God and gave the laws recorded in the first five books.
The museum displays fragments of ancient scrolls containing parts of the Mosaic Law.
capitalised: Mosaic + Law / covenant / tradition
Scholars still debate the exact origins of the Mosaic traditions found in the Old Testament.
Mosaic teachings about justice and community have shaped many later legal systems.
The lecture examined the Mosaic covenant and its role in Jewish religious history.
文法句型
Mosaic + noun
用法筆記
Almost always capitalised. The word appears most commonly before 'law', 'covenant', or 'tradition'. Distinguish from sense 1 (COLOURED TILES), which uses a lowercase 'm'.
常見錯誤
mosaic — noun
1. an artwork or decoration produced by setting tiny coloured chips of stone, glass
an artwork or decoration produced by setting tiny coloured chips of stone, glass, or ceramic into a surface to create a pattern or scene.
The ancient Roman mosaic shows a hunting scene with dogs chasing deer through trees.
countable: a/an + mosaic + shows/depicts
Gita spent three months creating a mosaic of a sunflower for the community centre.
Workers discovered a well-preserved mosaic under the floor of the old building during repairs.
The children made a simple mosaic using small squares of coloured paper instead of glass.
Mira took a class to learn the traditional art of mosaic and glass cutting.
- collage
different material — made by gluing paper or fabric onto a surface, not using hard materials like stone or glass
- montage
different medium — assembled from photographs or film clips, not pieces of solid material
- patchwork
different material — made of sewn fabric pieces, not hard decorative pieces
- tessellation
formal term for any arrangement of shapes that fit together, not necessarily decorative
文法句型
a mosaic (a single artwork)
mosaic (the art form, uncountable)
用法筆記
As an uncountable noun, mosaic refers to the technique ('she works in mosaic'). As a countable noun, it refers to a specific artwork ('she made a mosaic of a bird').
常見錯誤
2. a natural or accidental pattern that resembles a tile mosaic, made up of many sm
a natural or accidental pattern that resembles a tile mosaic, made up of many small areas of different colours or shades.
From the hilltop the city lights formed a beautiful mosaic of yellow and white dots.
a mosaic of + colours / lights / shades
The autumn leaves created a mosaic of red, orange, and gold across the forest floor.
Yara looked down at the mosaic of colours in the coral reef below the boat.
Satellite images showed a mosaic of farm fields in different shades of green and brown.
- patchwork
suggests irregular, sewn-together shapes, often in fabric
- variegation
technical term for multiple colours in plants or patterns; more formal
文法句型
a mosaic of + colours/patterns
用法筆記
Unlike sense 1 (TILE PICTURE), this sense describes naturally occurring patterns rather than art made by a person. The thing described is not actually made of separate pieces — it only looks that way.
3. something made up of many different people, cultures, ideas, or parts that toget
something made up of many different people, cultures, ideas, or parts that together form a single rich whole — like a group whose members come from very different backgrounds.
The neighbourhood is a mosaic of different cultures and languages from around the world.
a mosaic of + cultures / communities / ideas / identities
The novel presents a mosaic of characters whose separate lives slowly connect over time.
Liang described the city as a social mosaic made up of many immigrant communities.
The festival was a vibrant mosaic of music, dance, and food from twenty countries.
Christopher described the story collection as a mosaic of voices from a small town.
- mixture
broader and less visually evocative; implies blending rather than visible distinct parts
- assortment
focuses on variety but does not suggest the parts form a unified whole
- patchwork
similar metaphor but suggests irregular, improvised assembly
- medley
often used for songs or performances; implies sequence rather than simultaneous arrangement
- monolith
something made of one uniform substance or character
文法句型
a mosaic of + diverse/plural noun
用法筆記
Unlike sense 2 (COLOURFUL PATTERN), this sense is always metaphorical — it describes abstract diversity rather than visual colour patterns. Commonly followed by 'of' plus a plural noun.
常見錯誤
4. a living organism that carries cells of different genetic makeups within one bod
a living organism that carries cells of different genetic makeups within one body, resulting from natural mutation or from medical procedures such as cell transplantation.
A genetic mosaic can occur naturally when a cell mutates during early development.
genetic mosaic — technical compound noun in biology
The patient is a mosaic, with some cells carrying the genetic change and others not.
Scientists studied a natural mosaic in the cat's fur caused by different pigment gene activity.
The doctor explained that people with this condition are genetic mosaics with mixed cell types.
文法句型
genetic mosaic
a mosaic of cells/tissues
用法筆記
A technical term in biology and medicine. Also referred to as a 'chimera' in some contexts, though the two terms have slightly different meanings — a chimera involves cells from different individuals, while a mosaic usually involves variation within one individual's original cell line.
mosaic — verb
1. to decorate a surface by setting small pieces of coloured stone, glass, or ceram
to decorate a surface by setting small pieces of coloured stone, glass, or ceramic into it to form a pattern or picture.
The artist mosaicked the entire wall with broken pieces of coloured glass bottles.
active form: mosaic + object + with + material
Nellie hired a local craftsman to mosaic the garden pathway with river stones.
The ceiling of the small chapel was mosaicked with scenes from the old village.
Christopher's grandfather used to mosaic old mirror frames as a hobby in retirement.
- inlay
different technique — pieces are set into recessed areas rather than placed on a flat surface
- tessellate
formal term meaning to fit shapes together without gaps, not necessarily decorative
文法句型
mosaic + object (surface to be decorated)
用法筆記
A rare verb. The past tense and past participle are usually spelled 'mosaicked' (not 'mosaiced'). The passive form ('was mosaicked') is more common than the active form.
常見錯誤
2. to arrange or combine separate elements — such as pieces of material, images, or
to arrange or combine separate elements — such as pieces of material, images, or ideas — into a unified pattern or whole that resembles a mosaic.
The designer mosaicked different fabrics together to create a patchwork coat.
mosaic + together — combining separate elements
Meera mosaicked the holiday photos into a large collage for the school exhibition.
Tiny pieces of wood were mosaicked by Henry into a picture of a sailing boat.
The garden wall displays a flower pattern, carefully mosaicked by Lucía from broken tiles.
- assemble
more general term for putting parts together; lacks the visual pattern aspect
- piece together
emphasises the process of fitting fragments into a whole, often gradually
- compose
more formal; can refer to creating art, music, or writing from separate elements
- scatter
to spread separate elements apart rather than bringing them together into a pattern
文法句型
mosaic + object pieces + into + pattern/whole
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (DECORATE WITH TILES): sense 1 emphasises decorating a surface, while sense 2 emphasises assembling pieces into a pattern. Sense 2 can be used for materials other than stone or glass, such as fabric, photos, or wood.