from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Mosaic \Mo*sa"ic\, n. [F. mosa["i]que; cf. Pr. mozaic, musec,
Sp. & Pg. mosaico, It. mosaico, musaico, LGr. ?, ?, L.
musivum; all fr. Gr. ? belonging to the Muses. See {Muse} the
goddess.]
1. (Fine Arts) A surface decoration made by inlaying in
patterns small pieces of variously colored glass, stone,
or other material; -- called also {mosaic work}.
[1913 Webster]
2. A picture or design made in mosaic; an article decorated
in mosaic.
[1913 Webster]
3. Something resembling a mosaic[1]; something made up of
different pieces, fitted together by design to form a
unified composition.
[PJC]
{aerial mosaic} An aerial photograph of a large area, made by
carefully fitting together aerial photographs of smaller
areas so that the edges match in location, and the whole
provides a continuous image of the larger area. Called
also
{mosaic map} and {photomosaic}.
{mosaic virus} A type of plant virus that causes green and
yellow mottling of leaves of a plant. A much-studied type
is the {tobacco mosaic virus}, affecting the tobacco
plant.
[PJC]