ob|jet de ver|tu

ob|jet de ver|tu «awb ZHEH duh vehr too», plural ob|jets de ver|tu «awb ZHEH duh vehr too». French.

1. an object of value because of its workmanship, antiquity, or rarity: »

With other objets de vertu (small, precious ornaments), the cup was auctioned from the collection (New York Times).

2. (literally) object of virtue.

Usage Objet de vertu is an English coinage made up of French words to Gallicize the phrase “object of virtu.” The result is a misnomer, however, since the word virtu has no equivalent meaning in the French form vertu. The French word simply means “virtue.”