anaglypta

noun

an·​a·​glyp·​ta ˌa-nə-ˈglip-tə How to pronounce anaglypta (audio)
variants or Anaglypta
: embossed wallpaper : a type of wallpaper that has a permanent raised design
A textured paper called anaglypta was used to lend an 1890s aura to the hallway.Roger Showley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Dec. 1983
often used before another noun
Three coats of deep blue paint bring out the texture in the anaglypta wall covering.Barbara Hertenstein, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 29 Apr. 2000
These Victorian and Edwardian houses often conceal the evidence of earlier tastes in decoration—contoured Anaglypta wallpaper, dark varnishes, here and there the piece of stained glass that must have added to the general gloom.Alexander McCall Smith, Sunday Times (London), 27 Apr. 2008

Word History

Etymology

earlier a trademark, borrowed from Latin, "vessels carved in low relief," from neuter plural of anaglyptus "carved in low relief"

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of anaglypta was in 1887

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Dictionary Entries Near anaglypta

Cite this Entry

“Anaglypta.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anaglypta. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

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