azulejo

noun

azu·​le·​jo ˌä-sü-ˈlā-(ˌ)hō 

-zü-,

-thü-

plural azulejos

: a glazed usually blue ceramic tile originally of Portugal and Spain

Examples of azulejo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The clean mint, lemon, and verbena scents of the Banho Citron Verbena, wrapped in packaging inspired by Portugal’s azulejo tiles, and the woodier Cerina Brise Marine soap, which has top notes of bergamot and Mediterranean pine. —Meredith Carey, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2019

Learn new skills in the classroom, then grab your camera and hit the streets, photographing the Alfama neighborhood's crooked cobblestone lanes, painted Portuguese azulejo tiles, and dramatic modern street murals towering over the sidewalks. —National Geographic, 12 June 2019

Sometimes Portuguese azulejos are glorious, like the early 20th-century panels that line the vestibules of Porto’s São Bento railway station, where an arrival or departure becomes a stopover in a mammoth china cabinet. —J.s. Marcus, WSJ, 5 July 2018

Start by admiring the azulejo tiles and vintage bullfight posters at Casa Cuesta, in operation since 1880. —New York Times, 14 June 2018

Word History

Etymology

Portuguese or Spanish

First Known Use

1813, in the meaning defined above