A three-dimensional form or likeness sculpted, modeled, carved, or cast in material such as stone, clay, wood, or bronze.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin statua, from statuere, to set up. See statute.]
statue
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stat·ue (stăch'ū)  |
| English Folklore: statues |
It seems to be a widespread instinct for passers-by to touch statues, in greeting or for luck, if they represent a popular personality, as when Tory Members of Parliament rub the toe of Winston Churchill's statue at the entrance to the Chamber, and Liberals that of Lloyd George. Animal images also attract this affectionate gesture; the nose of a lion-faced door-knocker at Durham Cathedral is well polished by the constant touch of visitors, as is the beak of a certain falcon in the Egyptian Gallery of the British Museum. The other recurrent piece of folklore about a statue is the assertion that it gets down from its pedestal and walks about, or sits down for a rest, whenever it hears midnight strike; the lions at the door of the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, either roar or drink from the gutter. Such statements are a catch, for ‘when it hears’ is an impossible condition (cf. standing stones).
Tomb effigies are a striking feature in village churches, and a fruitful inspiration for storytelling, especially if damaged, or if the accompanying heraldry is misunderstood. One example among many is an Elizabethan family memorial at Broad Hinton (Wiltshire) where several figures have their hands broken off; legend says this shows how the hands of Sir Thomas Wroughton and his sons withered away after he wickedly hurled his wife's Bible in the fire.
| Word Tutor: statue |
IN BRIEF: n. - A sculpture representing a human or animal.
The statue of liberty that will endure on this continent is not the one made of granite or bronze, but the one made of love of freedom.
— Lemuel K. Washburn
| Dream Symbol: Statue |
People that we know who appear in dreams as statues may indicate that relationships are inflexible and that communication has reached a stand-still. If the dreamer is a statue it may mean that the true self has become far removed from reality.
| Wikipedia: Statue |
For the Seinfeld episode, see The Statue.
"Statues" redirects here. For other uses, see Statues (disambiguation).
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger.[1] Its primary concern is representational.
The definition of a statue is not always clear-cut; sculptures of a person on a horse, called Equestrian statues, are certainly included, and in many cases, such as a Madonna and Child or a Pietà, a sculpture of two people will also be. A small statue, usually small enough to be picked up, is called a statuette or Figurine.
Many statues are built on commission to commemorate a historical event, or the life of an influential person. Many statues are intended as public art, exhibited outdoors or in public buildings for the edification of passers-by, with a larger magnitude than normal words could ever have for the common man.
On rare occasions, statues themselves become historic and inspire their own historic events. In 1986, when the Statue of Liberty marked her one-hundredth anniversary, a three-day centennial celebration in her honor attracted 12 million. The guest list was unique. "We invited all the great statues of the world to her birthday party and created giant puppets to represent them," said Jeanne Fleming, director of the event. "Each one arrived accompanied by native music."
There is an urban legend concerning a code for mounted statues, whereby the horse's hooves are supposed to indicate how the rider met his end. One hoof off the floor would indicate the rider died of wounds received in battle, or perhaps was just wounded in battle; two hooves off the floor would indicate the rider was killed in battle. An examination of the equestrian statues in most major European cities shows this is not true. If it ever was true, the practice appears to have died out in the 19th century. [1][2]
Statues are amongst the wonders of the world, with the Colossus of Rhodes and the Statue of Zeus at Olympia among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the Moai of Easter Island among the wonders of the modern world.
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| Translations: Statue |
Nederlands (Dutch)
(stand)beeld
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - άγαλμα, ανδριάντας
Italiano (Italian)
statua, monumento
Português (Portuguese)
n. - estátua (f)
Русский (Russian)
статуя, изваяние
Español (Spanish)
n. - estatua, escultura
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - staty, bildstod
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
雕像, 塑像
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 雕像, 塑像
한국어 (Korean)
n. - 상황, 조상놀이 (댄스 등을 하다가 신호로 정지하여 그 자세를 채점하는 놀이)
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) تمثال
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| Best of the Web: statue |
Some good "statue" pages on the web:
 American Sign Language commtechlab.msu.edu |
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| English Folklore. A Dictionary of English Folklore. Copyright © 2000, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Word Tutor. Copyright © 2004-present by eSpindle Learning, a 501(c) nonprofit organization. All rights reserved. eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; free trial. Read more |
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| Dream Symbol. The Dreams Encyclopedia. 1995 ©Visible Ink Press. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Statue". Read more |
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| Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved. Read more |
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