word

arabesque

ar-ah-BESK

ˌærəˈbɛsk

Listen

Hear it in a clear American voice. Slow it down to catch each syllable.

Syllable breakdown

arabesque

Dictionary meaning

A form of artistic decoration in Islamic art consisting of intricate, repeating geometric and flowing plant-based patterns, without representation of living figures.

History and origin

French/Italian — 'in the Arab style'.

Common mispronunciations

AR-ah-beskara-BESK

People also look up

Chiaroscuro

kee-ar-uh-SKYOOR-oh

Kintsugi

kin-TSOO-gee

Learn one new pronunciation a day

Get a word, name or idiom like “arabesque” in your inbox — daily or weekly, free. Unsubscribe any time.

Something wrong? Suggest a correction