panorama

Definitions

pan- (all) + orama (view) = 'a view of everything.' Coined in the 1790s for Robert Barker's circular paintings that surrounded the viewer, so you could turn a full circle and see the whole scene. From the painting it generalized to any sweeping view, then figuratively to a complete overview of a topic.

Why It Means This

The word was literally invented — Barker needed a name for his new all-around paintings and built it from Greek pan- + horama. That origin explains why panorama always implies completeness: not just a nice view, but everything visible at once.

Common Collocations

• 1.stunning panorama壮观的全景
• 2.sweeping panorama恢弘的全景
• 3.panorama of……的全景纵览
• 4.mountain panorama山间全景

Example Sentences

• 1.

  From the rooftop bar, the whole city spread out in a glittering panorama.

• 2.

  The book offers a sweeping panorama of life in the nineteenth century.

• 3.

  We stopped at the lookout to take in the mountain panorama.