'aquatint' originates from Italian, specifically the word 'acquatinta,' where 'acqua' meant 'water' and 'tinta' meant 'tint' or 'dye'.

'acquatinta' passed into French as 'aquatinte' and then entered English in the late 18th century as 'aquatint', eventually giving forms such as 'aquatinting' for the -ing form.

Initially, the term literally referred to a 'water-tint' (the idea of producing wash-like tones); over time it came to denote the specific printmaking technique and the prints produced by it, a meaning that has largely remained consistent.