tondo

noun

ton·​do ˈtän-(ˌ)dō How to pronounce tondo (audio)
plural tondi ˈtän-(ˌ)dē How to pronounce tondo (audio)
1
: a circular painting
2
: a sculptured medallion

Examples of tondo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The exhibition includes five rectangular and two tondo (round) paintings. Danielle Avram, Dallas News, 12 Nov. 2020 Created around 1480, the canvas depicts a handsome young man with a small tondo of a saint in his hands. Katya Kazakina, Bloomberg.com, 7 Oct. 2020 DeLap began slicing up the traditional rectangle — as well as the less common (but equally traditional) circular tondo — into various irregular geometries. Christopher Knight, latimes.com, 16 Mar. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tondo.' 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

Italian, from tondo round, short for rotondo, from Latin rotundus — more at rotund

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tondo was in 1890

Dictionary Entries Near tondo

Cite this Entry

“Tondo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tondo. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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