a piece of virtu

a piece of virtu
Virtu Vir*tu" (?; 277), n. [It. virt[`u] virtue, excellence, from L. virtus. See {Virtue}.] A love of the fine arts; a taste for curiosities. --J. Spence. [1913 Webster]

{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. [1913 Webster]

I had thoughts, in my chambers to place it in view, To be shown to my friends as a piece of virt[`u]. --Goldsmith. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Virtu — Vir*tu (?; 277), n. [It. virt[ u] virtue, excellence, from L. virtus. See {Virtue}.] A love of the fine arts; a taste for curiosities. J. Spence. [1913 Webster] {An article of virtu}, or {a piece of virtu}, an object of art or antiquity; a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • piece — Synonyms and related words: Grand Guignol, Nachtmusik, Passion play, Tom show, absolute music, actor, adaptation, aesthetic distance, air, air varie, aleatory, aleatory music, alike, allotment, allowance, antagonist, antihero, antimasque,… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • virtu — Synonyms and related words: aesthetics, art, art object, artistic skill, artistic taste, artistry, arty craftiness, brainchild, bric a brac, classic, composition, connoisseurship, creation, design, dilettantism, epicureanism, epicurism, expertise …   Moby Thesaurus

  • An article of virtu — Virtu Vir*tu (?; 277), n. [It. virt[ u] virtue, excellence, from L. virtus. See {Virtue}.] A love of the fine arts; a taste for curiosities. J. Spence. [1913 Webster] {An article of virtu}, or {a piece of virtu}, an object of art or antiquity; a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • museum piece — Synonyms and related words: abnormality, anomaly, art object, brainchild, bric a brac, classic, composition, conversation piece, creation, curio, curiosity, design, exception, grotesque, improbability, kitsch, master, masterpiece, masterwork,… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • A piece of bric-a-brac — Bric a brac Bric a brac , n. [F.] Miscellaneous curiosities and works of decorative art, considered collectively. [1913 Webster] {A piece of bric a brac}, any curious or antique article of virtu, as a piece of antiquated furniture or metal work,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • work — Synonyms and related words: Grand Guignol, Nachtmusik, Passion play, Tom show, abatis, absolute music, accomplish, accomplished fact, accomplishment, acetify, achieve, achievement, acidify, acidulate, act, acta, acting, action, activism,… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • brainchild — Synonyms and related words: apparition, art object, article, artifact, autograph, brainstorm, bric a brac, bright idea, bright thought, brilliant idea, bubble, child, chimera, classic, coinage, composition, computer printout, concoction,… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • composition — Synonyms and related words: Anschluss, Intertype, Linotype, Monotype, Nachtmusik, Portland cement, Spackle, abatement of differences, absolute music, accommodation, adaptation, addition, adjustment, admixture, adobe, affiliation, agglomeration,… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • masterpiece — Synonyms and related words: archetype, art object, artifact, brainchild, bric a brac, child, classic, coinage, composition, concoction, creation, creature, crowning achievement, design, distillation, effect, end product, essence, exemplar,… …   Moby Thesaurus

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