gallery
/ˈɡæləɹi/ noun, verb, proper noun
Forms galleries gallerying galleried Gallerys
- noun An institution, building, or room for the exhibition and conservation of important objects, especially works of art. “In the gallery are displayed genuine artifacts dug up from the site, and in the gift shop you can buy a replica as a souvenir.”
- noun An establishment that buys, sells, and displays works of art. “Some of her best work can be yours: it is available at a gallery, if you can afford it.”
- noun The uppermost seating area projecting from the rear or side walls of a theater, concert hall, or auditorium. “We could afford the less expensive seats in the gallery.”
- noun (by extension, metonymic) The spectators at an event, collectively. “The politician was clearly appealing to the gallery”
- noun (law) The part of a courtroom, often elevated and in the rear, where seating for the public audience is facilitated during trial. “appealing to the gallery”
- noun A roofed promenade, especially one extending along the wall of a building and supported by arches or columns on the outer side. “elegant galleries looking out onto manicured gardens”
- noun (computing) A browsable collection of images, font styles, etc. “a gallery of image thumbnails”
- noun (fortification) A covered passage cut through the earth or masonry. “the galleries of the fort”
- verb (Trinidad and Tobago) To show off.
- proper noun A surname from Irish.
Synonyms
art dealer dealer flex preen strut aura farm boulevardier cut a wide swath cut it fat cut round exhibitionize figure away flamboast flaunt floss fluff one's feathers high-side let one's nuts hang ostent ostentate veranda verandah art gallery picture gallery drift heading
Etymology
From Middle English galery, gallerye, from Middle French galerie, gallerie, from Old French galerie, gallerie (“a long portico, a gallery”), from Medieval Latin galeria (“gallery”), of unknown origin. Perhaps an alteration of Latin galilea (“church porch”), probably from Latin Galilaea, Galilee, region of Israel. More at Galilee.
Reduced form of Irish Mac Giolla Riabhaigh (“son of the brindled lad”), the same source of McElrath.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A long and narrow corridor, or place for walking; a connecting passageway, as between one room and another; also, a long hole or passage excavated by a boring or burrowing animal.
- noun A room for the exhibition of works of art; as, a picture gallery; hence, also, a large or important collection of paintings, sculptures, etc.
Etymology [F. galerie, It. galleria, fr. LL. galeria gallery, perh. orig., a festal hall, banquetting hall; cf. OF. galerie a rejoicing, fr. galer to rejoice. Cf. Gallant, a.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “gallery”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details