mezzotint
|mez-zo-tint|
🇺🇸
/ˈmɛtsoʊtɪnt/
🇬🇧
/ˈmɛtsəʊtɪnt/
half-tinted printmaking
Etymology
'mezzotint' originates from Italian, specifically the word 'mezzotinto', where 'mezzo' meant 'half' and 'tinto' meant 'tinted' or 'dyed'.
'mezzotinto' entered English (from Italian) in the 17th century and was adapted as 'mezzotint' in modern English usage.
Initially, it meant 'half-tint' referring to the method of producing half-tones; over time it came to refer both to the technique and to the prints produced by that technique.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a print produced by the mezzotint technique; a tonal intaglio print characterized by rich gradations from dark to light.
The museum displayed a rare 18th-century mezzotint.
Synonyms
Noun 2
the printmaking technique in which a metal plate is roughened and then selectively smoothed to produce images with subtle tonal gradations.
She studied mezzotint as a specialist printmaking technique.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/30 02:43