| Definition/Meaning | Word/Phrase |
|---|
| subordinate musical part; provides background for more important parts |
accompaniment
,
backup
,
musical accompaniment
,
support
|
| epic in Latin by Virgil; tells the adventures of Aeneas after the Trojan War; provides an illustrious historical background for the Roman Empire |
Aeneid
|
| sculptural relief in which forms extend out from the background to at least half their depth |
alto relievo
,
alto rilievo
,
high relief
|
| background, of the immediate |
ambient
|
| background or preceding cause |
antecedent
|
| design consisting of a pattern of varicolored diamonds on a solid background (originally for knitted articles); patterned after the tartan of a clan in western Scotland |
argyle
,
argyll
|
| amplitude level of the undesired background noise |
background level
,
noise level
|
| press conference or interview in which a government official explains to reporters the background of an action or policy |
backgrounder
|
| sculptural relief in which forms extend only slightly from the background; no figures are undercut |
bas relief
,
basso relievo
,
basso rilievo
,
low relief
|
| sculptural relief that projects very little from background |
bas-relief
,
basso-relievo
,
low relief
|
| flag usually bearing a white skull and crossbones on a black background; indicates a pirate ship |
black flag
,
blackjack
,
Jolly Roger
,
pirate flag
|
| fabric dyed with splotches of green and brown and black and tan; intended to make the wearer of a garment made of this fabric hard to distinguish from the background |
camo
,
camouflage
|
| detailed record of the background of a person or group under study or treatment |
case history
|
| background or setting of event or text |
context
|
| false identity and background (especially one created for an undercover agent) |
cover
|
| markings vary but usually harmonize with background; of southwestern Arizona and Baja California |
Crotalus mitchellii
,
speckled rattlesnake
|
| photograph from which the background has been cut away |
cutout
|
| form of microscopic examination of living material by scattered light; specimens appear luminous against a dark background |
dark field illumination
,
dark ground illumination
|
| United States electrical engineer who devised the Dolby system used to reduce background noise in tape recording |
Dolby
,
Ray M. Dolby
|
| curtain that can be lowered and raised onto a stage from the flies; often used as background scenery |
drop
,
drop cloth
,
drop curtain
|
