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Origin and history of panorama

panorama(n.)

1796, "a painting on a revolving cylindrical surface," representing scenes too extended to be beheld all at once, coined c. 1789 by inventor, Irish artist Robert Barker, literally "a complete view," from pan- "all" + Greek horama "sight, spectacle, that which is seen," from horan "to look, see," which is possibly from PIE root *wer- (3) "to perceive, observe." Meaning "comprehensive survey, complete or entire view" is by 1801.

also from 1796

Entries linking to panorama

diorama(n.)

1823, a spectacular painting intended to be exhibited in a darkened room to produce an appearance of reality using lighting from behind it, from French diorama (1822), from assimilated form of Greek dia "through" (see dia-) + orama "that which is seen, a sight" (see panorama, on which this word is based). It was invented in France by Daguerre (later the pioneer photographer) and Bauton and first exhibited in England in 1823.

Meaning "small-scale replica of a scene, etc., using three-dimensional objects and a painted background" is from 1902. Related: Dioramic.

Panavision(n.)

1955, proprietary name of a type of wide-screen lens, a word formed from elements of panorama + vision.

  • panoramic
  • pan-
  • *wer-
  • -rama
  • See All Related Words (6)
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More to explore

view
early 15c., "formal inspection or survey" (of land); mid-15c., "visual perception," from Anglo-French vewe "view," Old French veue "light, brightness; look, appearance; eyesight, vision," noun use of fem. past participle of veoir "to see," from Latin videre "to see" (from PIE roo
aspect
late 14c., an astrological term, "relative position of the planets as they appear from earth" (i.e., how they "look at" one another); also "one of the ways of viewing something," from Latin aspectus "a seeing, looking at, sight, view; countenance; appearance," from past participl
prospect
early 15c., "act of looking into the distance, condition of facing something else or a certain direction," from Latin prospectus "distant view, look out; sight, faculty of sight," noun use of past participle of prospicere "look out on, look forward," from pro "forward" (see pro-)
gallivant
["Songs from the Exile," in "Literary Panorama," London, 1809]...
coast
early 14c., "margin of the land;" earlier "rib as a part of the body" (early 12c.), from Old French coste "rib, side, flank; slope, incline;" later "coast, shore" (12c., Modern French côte), from Latin costa "a rib," perhaps related to a root word for "bone" (compare Old Church S
ground
Old English grund "bottom; foundation; surface of the earth," also "abyss, Hell," and "bottom of the sea" (a sense preserved in run aground), from Proto-Germanic *grundu-, which seems to have meant "deep place" (source also of Old Frisian, Old Saxon, Danish, Swedish grund, Dutch
icon
also ikon, 1570s, "image, figure, picture," also "statue," from Late Latin icon, from Greek eikon "likeness, image, portrait; image in a mirror; a semblance, phantom image;" in philosophy, "an image in the mind," related to eikenai "be like, look like," which is of uncertain orig
coin
c. 1300, "a wedge, a wedge-shaped piece used for some purpose," from Old French coing (12c.) "a wedge; stamp; piece of money;" usually "corner, angle," from Latin cuneus "a wedge," which is of unknown origin. The die for stamping metal was wedge-shaped, and by late 14c. the Engli
tableau
1690s, "a picturesque or graphic description or picture," from French tableau "picture, painting" (12c., plural tableaux), from Old French table "slab, writing tablet" (see table (n.)) + diminutive suffix -eau, from Latin -ellus. Hence tableau-vivant (1817) "person or persons sil
glimpse
c. 1400, "to glisten, be dazzling," probably from Old English *glimsian "shine faintly," part of the group of Germanic words in *gl- having to do with "smooth; shining; joyous," from PIE root *ghel- (2) "to shine." If so, the unetymological -p- would be there to ease pronunciatio

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Trending
Dictionary entries near panorama
  • Pannonia
  • panocha
  • panoply
  • panoptic
  • panopticon
  • panorama
  • panoramic
  • pansexual
  • Panslavism
  • pansy
  • pant
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