- 1 (especially British English) (usually North American English exhibit) [countable] a collection of things, for example works of art, that are shown to the public Have you seen the Picasso exhibition? an exhibition of old photographs Wordfinderconferenceconference, delegate, exhibition, name tag, plenary, register, speaker, talk, venue, workshop Wordfinderpaintingart, background, canvas, exhibition, foreground, frame, fresco, painting, portrait, watercolour CollocationsFine artsCreating art make a work of art/a drawing/a sketch/a sculpture/a statue/engravings/etchings/prints do an oil painting/a self-portrait/a line drawing/a rough sketch create a work of art/an artwork/paintings and sculptures produce paintings/portraits/oil sketches/his most celebrated work/a series of prints paint a picture/landscape/portrait/mural/in oils/in watercolours/(especially US English) in watercolors/on canvas draw a picture/a portrait/a cartoon/a sketch/a line/a figure/the human form/in charcoal/in ink sketch a preliminary drawing/a figure/a shape carve a figure/an image/a sculpture/an altarpiece/reliefs/a block of wood sculpt a portrait bust/a statue/an abstract figure etch a line/a pattern/a design/a name into the glass mix colours/(especially US English) colors/pigments/paints add/apply thin/thick layers of paint/colour/(especially US English) color/pigment use oil pastels/charcoal/acrylic paint/a can of spray paint work in bronze/ceramics/stone/oils/pastels/watercolour/a wide variety of mediaDescribing art paint/depict a female figure/a biblical scene/a pastoral landscape/a domestic interior depict/illustrate a traditional/mythological/historical/religious theme create an abstract composition/a richly textured surface/a distorted perspective paint dark/rich/skin/flesh tones use broad brush strokes/loose brushwork/vibrant colours/a limited palette/simple geometric forms develop/adopt/paint in a stylized manner/an abstract styleShowing and selling art commission an altarpiece/a bronze bust of somebody/a portrait/a religious work/an artist to paint something frame a painting/portrait hang art/a picture/a painting display/exhibit modern art/somebody’s work/a collection/original artwork/drawings/sculptures/a piece be displayed/hung in a gallery/museum install/place a sculpture in/at/on something erect/unveil a bronze/marble/life-size statue hold/host/mount/open/curate/see an exhibition (especially British English)/(usually North American English) an exhibit be/go on (British English) exhibition/(North American English) exhibit feature/promote/showcase a conceptual artist/contemporary works collect African art/modern British paintings/Japanese prints restore/preserve a fresco/great works of art Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivebig, large, small, … verb + exhibitionhave, hold, host, … exhibition + verbopen, close, end, … exhibition + nounarea, centre/center, floor, … prepositionon exhibition, exhibition of, exhibition on, … See full entry See related entries: The art world
- 2[uncountable] exhibition of something the act of showing something, for example works of art, to the public She refused to allow the exhibition of her husband's work.
- 3[singular] an exhibition of something (formal) the act of showing a skill, a feeling, or a kind of behaviour We were treated to an exhibition of the footballer's speed and skill. an appalling exhibition of bad manners
- 4[countable] (British English) an amount of money that is given as a prize to a student Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘maintenance, support’; hence sense (4), mid 17th cent.): via Old French from late Latin exhibitio(n-), from Latin exhibere ‘hold out’, from ex- ‘out’ + habere ‘hold’.Extra examples By 1914 Picasso had held one-man exhibitions in England, Germany and Spain. Hundreds of companies had exhibition stands. The Mappa Mundi will go on permanent exhibition at Hereford Cathedral. The exhibition includes drawings by Rembrandt. The exhibition is on view from 11 April to 5 July. The exhibition moves on to the National Gallery, Washington, next month. The exhibition opens at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in July. The library has a policy of mounting changing exhibitions. The mayor will open the exhibition next week. The museum hosted a big exhibition of her work last year. The new wing will provide 20 000 more square feet of exhibition space. The new wing will provide a new exhibition space. The old factory has been converted to house an exhibition. The portrait is going on public exhibition for the first time. There is a series of special exhibitions throughout the year. They plan to stage an art exhibition in a nearby town. a major exhibition of the painter’s work a touring exhibition of Impressionist drawings an exhibition devoted to female painters an exhibition illustrating the history and development of the university an exhibition of contemporary art an exhibition on local history the catalogue that accompanies the exhibition the gallery’s exhibition programme for next year the international food trade exhibition in Cologne It was an appalling exhibition of bad manners. She refused to allow the exhibition of her husband’s work. The exhibition centre was built in 1999. They are putting on an exhibition of old photographs. We were treated to an exhibition of the footballer’s speed and skill.Idioms
(disapproving) to behave in a bad or stupid way in public I’m afraid Frank got drunk and made an exhibition of himself.
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