1. an early photographic process using a silver-coated copper plate, or a photograph produced by this process
Usage: historical; often capitalized when referring to the process itself
2. a detailed or vivid description or representation of something
Usage: figurative; less common

Examples

• The museum displayed a collection of daguerreotypes from the 1840s.
• My great-grandmother's daguerreotype hung in a small frame on the mantelpiece.
• The daguerreotype process was invented by Louis Daguerre in 1839.
• Early daguerreotypes required long exposure times, making them difficult to produce.
• The artist created a daguerreotype of the city's bustling marketplace.
• Collectors prize well-preserved daguerreotypes as valuable historical artifacts.