/
ˌsɪlʊˈɛt/
n.
- the dark shape and outline of someone or something visible in restricted light against a brighter background.
- a representation of someone or something showing the shape and outline only, typically coloured in solid black.
v.
cast or show as a silhouette:
the castle was silhouetted against the sky.
Etymology
C18: named (although the reason remains obscure) after the French author and politician Étienne de Silhouette.