mezzotint

noun mez·zo·tint \ ˈmet-sō-ˌtint , ˈmed-zō- \

|Updated on: 27 Jun 2018

Definition of mezzotint

1 : a manner of engraving on copper or steel by scraping or burnishing a roughened surface to produce light and shade

2 : an engraving produced by mezzotint

Recent Examples of mezzotint from the Web

These spacious rooms are filled with treasures of their own, not least a vast collection of 18th century mezzotints, and on this occasion by the guests—including the absurdly handsome actor Quim Gutierrez.

— hamish bowles, Vogue, "How Hamish Bowles Spent a Whirlwind 24 Hours in Madrid," 14 June 2018
Though the heart of her work — graphite and charcoal drawings, mezzotint and woodcut prints, paintings — is often described as dark, it has always been backlighted, in a sense, by California sun.

— randy kennedy, New York Times, "The Artist Vija Celmins Conjures Sea and Sky With a Brush," 9 Feb. 2017

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