Moresque, a. and n.
(mɒˈrɛsk)
Also 7 moresk, 9 mauresque.
[a. F. moresque, ad. It. moresco: see Moresco and -esque.]
A. adj.
1. Of painting, carving, architecture, etc.: Moorish in style, or ornamental design.
| 1611 Cotgr. s.v. Moresque, Fueillage, & Ouvrage, moresque. Moreske worke; a rude, or anticke painting, or caruing, wherein the feet and tayles of beasts, &c., are intermingled with, or made to resemble, a kind of wild leaues, &c. 1656 in Blount Glossogr. (citing Cotgr.). 1757 J. H. Grose Voy. E. Indies 177 Their style of building, which is partly Gentoo and partly Moresk. 1817 Moore Lalla R. (1824) 11 Between the porphyry pillars, that uphold The rich Moresque-work of the roof of gold. 1842 Gwilt Archit. §126 The first period in the history of Moresque architecture is from the foundation of Islamism to the ninth century. 1875 Encycl. Brit. II. 234/1 While the genuine Arabian art, the Saracenic, was distinguished as Moresque or Moorish. 1888 Lady 25 Oct. 374/3 [A lady's cap] made of mauresque lace. |
† 2. Moresque dance: a modern etymologizing rendering of morris-dance. Obs.
| 1727–41 Chambers Cycl., Moresque dances, vulgarly called morrice-dances, are those altogether in imitation of the Moors; as sarabands, chacons, &c. |
B. n.
1. Arabesque ornament.
| 1727–52 [see Morisco B. 3]. a 1843 Southey Comm.-pl. Bk. Ser. ii. (1849) 457 Here, too, the dome is gold and azure Moresque within. |
2. A Moorish woman.
| 1895 Workman Algerian Mem. 18 The women, or Mauresques, cannot impress one with the idea of grace. |