fresco

noun fres·co \ ˈfre-(ˌ)skō \

|Updated on: 10 Aug 2018

Editor's Note: fresco and the Art World

Definition of fresco

plural frescoes

1 : the art of painting on freshly spread moist lime plaster with water-based pigments

2 : a painting executed in fresco

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fresco

transitive verb

See fresco defined for English-language learners

See fresco defined for kids

Recent Examples of fresco from the Web

The luxurious residence had elaborate gardens surrounded by colonnaded walkways and was filled with beautiful mosaics, frescoes and sculptures.

— henrik knudsen, Smithsonian, "Buried by the Ash of Vesuvius, These Scrolls Are Being Read for the First Time in Millennia," 26 June 2018
There's offerings like the Mexico City, with a beef hot dog, guacamole, chipotle crema, double smoked bacon, queso fresco and tortilla strips.

— carol motsinger, Cincinnati.com, "Where are the country's best hot dogs? Some are in Cincinnati, says Travel Channel," 21 June 2018
Avocado, crumbled queso fresco and an herby dressing bolstered with mayo and more peas, puréed until creamy, lend a little richness.

— kitty greenwald, WSJ, "The Only Salad Recipe You Need," 14 June 2018
Her work with Estrada produced a menu that begins with appetizers: beef or chicken nachos, three-cheese quesadilla, queso and chips, street corn with queso fresco, and guacamole.

— greg morago, Houston Chronicle, "First look: Dream Tacos TX," 7 June 2018
The trip begins in Tbilisi, the capital, with a Georgian feast, then ventures through fields and villages to Kutaisi and a visit to the Gelati Monastery, known for its frescoes and mosaics.

— anne harnagel, latimes.com, "Sample food and culture of the country of Georgia," 7 June 2018
Have a look at some of this year's crop of al fresco dining spots: Stone Creek Coffee's Downer Cafe + Kitchen 2650 N. Downer Ave.

— carol deptolla, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Dining patios proliferate around Milwaukee; a look at some new ones for 2018," 10 July 2018
McMenamin had ferried some friends to Centralia to check out the al fresco gallery of a famous yard artist, Richard Tracy.

— mike seely, latimes.com, "A Washington state town had become listless. Then a bar came to town and everything began to change," 9 July 2018
In recent years, the tiny town of Borja has seen a tourism boom after the fresco monkey business gained worldwide attention.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Restorationist Botches 16th-Century Spanish Statue of Saint," 28 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fresco.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

fresco and the Art World

The Italian word fresco means “fresh” and comes from a Germanic word akin to the source of English fresh. In the Renaissance, pittura a fresco, meaning “painting freshly,” referred to paint applied while the plaster on the wall was still wet, as opposed to pittura a secco “painting dryly,” in which paint is applied when the plaster was dry. In English, fresco appears earliest as part of the phrase in fresco; it does not appear as a noun referring to a painting until 1670. A different sense of Italian fresco, meaning “fresh air,” appears in the phrase al fresco “outdoors,” borrowed into English as alfresco and used particularly in reference to dining outdoors.