trompe

[ tromp ]

noun

1. Metallurgy. a device formerly used for inducing a blast of air upon the hearth of a forge by means of a current of falling water.

trompe

/ trɒmp /

noun

1. an apparatus for supplying the blast of air in a forge, consisting of a thin column down which water falls, drawing in air through side openings

Word History and Origins

Origin of trompe¹

Borrowed into English from French around 1820–30

Word History and Origins

Origin of trompe¹

C19: from French, literally: trumpet

Example Sentences

A mesmerizing portrait of a Florentine lady in a flowing sheer veil, attributed to the early-16th-century Italian painter Ridolfo Ghirlandaio, is accompanied by a decorative panel with the Latin inscription “To each his own mask” and a trompe l’oeil face covering to match.

From New York Times

Our eyes continue to be dazzled by optical tricks, such as trompe l’oeil patterns that collapse dimensions.

From Seattle Times

A striking dress featured a trompe l’oeil effect, cleverly designed to appear two-dimensional.

From Seattle Times

He plunged into the archives, taking inspiration from fashion house founder Franco Moschino’s sense of subversion, love of archetypes and trompe l’oeil playfulness.

From Seattle Times

I may sound cynical, but I couldn’t help but balk at that sense of trompe l’oeil profundity, beautifully rendered but fundamentally unchallenging.

From Seattle Times