aquatint
|a-qua-tint|
🇺🇸
/ˈækwəˌtɪnt/
🇬🇧
/ˈækwətɪnt/
water-tint printmaking (tonal etching)
Etymology
'aquatint' originates from French, specifically the word 'aquatinte', ultimately from Italian 'acquatinta' (from 'acqua' meaning 'water' + 'tinta' meaning 'tint').
'acquatinta' in Italian passed into French as 'aquatinte' and was borrowed into English as 'aquatint' to name the printmaking technique and its products.
Initially the components referred to 'water' and 'tint' (the idea of a watered or tinted effect); over time the compound came to denote specifically the printmaking process and prints producing tonal washes.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a printmaking technique in which a porous, acid-resistant ground is applied to a metal plate so that acid bites a textured, tonal surface; also, a print produced by this technique.
The museum's collection included a fine 19th-century aquatint depicting a coastal scene.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/29 21:02