sgraffito
noun
sgraf·fi·to
zgra-ˈfē-(ˌ)tō 
skra-
plural sgraffiti
zgra-ˈfē-(ˌ)tē
skra-
1
: decoration by cutting away parts of a surface layer (as of plaster or clay) to expose a different colored ground compare graffito
2
: something (such as traditional Pennsylvania Dutch pottery) decorated with sgraffito
Examples of sgraffito in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The 2025 artists: Sarah Anderson is a full-time ceramic artist who creates illustrative characters on the surface of clay through the use of sgraffito.
—
Justin L. MacK, Axios, 3 Apr. 2025
The place is remarkably well-preserved, with tidy houses decorated with flower boxes and ornate sgraffito (decoration scratched into their exterior walls) and flowing mineral water springs around town.
—Ann Abel, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
Go out and craft: Get your hands dirty building ceramic planters with sgraffito carving and scratching techniques.
—Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2023
The gowns of Richard and St. Edmund are done in sgraffito, their paint applied over gold and then partly scraped away.
—Willard Spiegelman, WSJ, 17 Jan. 2020
The earliest paintings were done in the sgraffito technique, where a light layer of plaster is applied over a darker one and then scraped off to create patterns with the color underneath (think large-scale scratch art).
—Hadley Keller, House Beautiful, 23 July 2019
Etch a sketch: The village of Pontresina, in Switzerland’s Engadine Valley, is known for an unusual ornamentation on its buildings called sgraffito.
—National Geographic, 26 Mar. 2019
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Justin L. MacK, Axios, 3 Apr. 2025
The place is remarkably well-preserved, with tidy houses decorated with flower boxes and ornate sgraffito (decoration scratched into their exterior walls) and flowing mineral water springs around town.
—Ann Abel, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
Go out and craft: Get your hands dirty building ceramic planters with sgraffito carving and scratching techniques.
—Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2023
The gowns of Richard and St. Edmund are done in sgraffito, their paint applied over gold and then partly scraped away.
—Willard Spiegelman, WSJ, 17 Jan. 2020
The earliest paintings were done in the sgraffito technique, where a light layer of plaster is applied over a darker one and then scraped off to create patterns with the color underneath (think large-scale scratch art).
—Hadley Keller, House Beautiful, 23 July 2019
Etch a sketch: The village of Pontresina, in Switzerland’s Engadine Valley, is known for an unusual ornamentation on its buildings called sgraffito.
—National Geographic, 26 Mar. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Sgraffito.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sgraffito. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share