rocaille

[ roh-kahy; French raw-kah-yuh ]

noun

1. Fine Arts. any of the fantastic ornamental, often asymmetrical, combinations characteristic of the Rococo period, consisting of rock, shell, and plant forms combined with artificial forms, esp C -curves.

rocaille

/ rɒˈkaɪ /

noun

1. decorative rock or shell work, esp as ornamentation in a rococo fountain, grotto, or interior

Word History and Origins

Origin of rocaille¹

1855–60; < French: pebble-work, derivative of roc rock ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of rocaille¹

from French, from roc rock ¹

Example Sentences

Rocaille, rō-kal′-ye, n. a scroll ornament of the eighteenth century.

From Project Gutenberg

The younger generations neither fancy such seats — you cannot sprawl in a Louis XV fauteuil — nor do they like the interior design into which gilt Rocaille armchairs can fit.

From New York Times

Today, the Rocaille style is seen as fussy by a generation exposed to contemporary colors and lines.

From New York Times

Most of the time it is turgid rocaille, nothing more.

From Time Magazine Archive

The style was called rococo�itself an onomatopoeic image of the art �from the French word rocaille, meaning fancywork in rocks and shells.

From Time Magazine Archive