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

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

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from past participle of sgraffire to scratch, produce sgraffito

First Known Use

circa 1730, in the meaning defined at sense 1