vignette

(architecture) A running ornament consisting of leaves and tendrils, used in Gothic architecture.

(printing) A decorative design, originally representing vine branches or tendrils, at the head of a chapter, of a manuscript or printed book, or in a similar position.

(by extension) Any small borderless picture in a book, especially an engraving, photograph, or the like, which vanishes gradually at the edge.

(by extension) A short story or anecdote that presents a scene or tableau, or paints a picture.

(philately) The central pictorial image on a postage stamp.

(photography) The characteristic of a camera lens, either by deficiency in design or by mismatch of the lens with the film format, to produce an image smaller than the film's frame with a crudely focused border. Photographers may deliberately choose this characteristic for a special effect.

(photography) Any effect in a photographic picture where qualities vanish towards the edges.

(computer graphics) A hardware deficiency (even occurring in most expensive models) of a computer display wherein the picture slants towards a colour or brightness towards the edges especially if viewed from an angle.

(automotive) A small sticker affixed to a vehicle windscreen to indicate that tolls have been paid.