/,sɪlu:'et; ,sɪlu`ɛt/
n
1 (a) dark outline of sb/sth seen against a light background 黑色轮廓; 侧影
*the silhouettes of the trees against the evening sky 夜空衬托出树木的轮廓.
(b) picture showing sb/sth as a black shape against a light background 黑色轮廓像; 剪影.
2 (idm 习语) in silhouette as a silhouette 以黑色轮廓像或剪影形式
*see sth in silhouette 看见某物的轮廓
* paint sb in silhouette 画出某人的黑色轮廓像.

v [usu passive 通常用于被动语态
*Tn, Tn.pr] ~ sth (against sth) cause sth to be seen as a silhouette 使某物现出轮廓或呈黑色轮廓像
*She stood in front of the window, silhouetted against the dawn sky. 她站在窗前, 晨空衬托出她的轮廓.

n
[Date: 1700-1800; Language: French;Origin: , from Étienne de Silhouette (1709-67), French politician famous for not liking to spend money, and therefore appropriately giving his name to a cheap simple picture]
[U and C]
a dark image, shadow, or shape that you see against a light background
silhouette of
　a dark silhouette of domes and minarets
silhouette against
　Soon the bombers would return, black silhouettes against a pale sky.
in silhouette
　The old windmill stood out in silhouette.

[U and C]
a drawing of something or someone, often from the side, showing a black shape against a light background
　silhouette pictures of snowmen and reindeer
in silhouette
　a picture of Mozart in silhouette
[C]
the particular shape certain clothes give you
　Fitted clothes often give the neatest silhouettes.
>silhouettedadj
　tall chimney stacks silhouetted against the orange flames