mezzotint

noun

mez·​zo·​tint ˈmet-sō-ˌtint How to pronounce mezzotint (audio) ˈmed-zō- How to pronounce mezzotint (audio)
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

Examples of mezzotint in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web His prints from this time often used a combination of etching, line work and mezzotint. oregonlive, 2 Oct. 2021 Philadelphia engraver William Sartain, for one, came out with a flattering mezzotint of Jackson along with a group portrait of Jackson and his family, seated in a parlor decorated by statuettes of George Washington and John C. Calhoun. Harold Holzer, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 July 2020 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, 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, 9 Feb. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mezzotint.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

modification of Italian mezzatinta, from mezza (feminine of mezzo) + tinta tint

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mezzotint was in 1800

Dictionary Entries Near mezzotint

Cite this Entry

“Mezzotint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mezzotint. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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