verdigris
noun
-ˌgris
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“Green of Greece”—that is the literal translation of vert de Grece, the Anglo-French phrase from which we get the modern word verdigris. A coating of verdigris forms naturally on copper and copper alloys such as brass and bronze when those metals are exposed to air. (It can also be produced artificially.) Like cinnabar, fuchsia, and amaranth before it, however, verdigris is also seeing increased use as a color name that can be applied to anything suggestive of its particular hue. For more colorful history you might enjoy this article before testing your knowledge with a quiz.
Examples of verdigris in a Sentence
Deanna Kizis, Sunset Magazine, 15 Mar. 2022
In Pessin’s home office, tucked into a nook under his staircase, there’s a verdigris Jean Prouvé-esque desk beneath a wall-hugging facsimile of a geometric Frank Stella painting.
—New York Times, 25 Nov. 2021
But the chloroplasts swathe large portions of their flat, billowy bodies in a startling verdigris.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 28 Sep. 2021
It’s 22-by-17 feet dominated by a large curving island of the verdigris marble.
—Judy Rose, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2020
It was inspired by the verdigris tones of a historic building across the street and the pale blush of another local landmark.
—Jane Margolies, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2019
From the open valley of the Río Chaschuil, the road suddenly plunged into narrow defiles where the rock was blushed with surreal mineral colors—crimson, verdigris, malachite, violet.
—Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2019
The handblown miniglobes have been fitted with warm LEDs and are attached to metal tubes that are available in verdigris, tarnished silver and mottled brass finishes.
—Arlene Hirst, New York Times, 8 May 2018
One private room, paneled in glass, with an extraordinary verdigris marble floor, is intended for Legacy members—100 people (about a quarter of them are Americans) who have bought lifetime memberships, which can be inherited by their children.
—Pascal Chevallier, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2018
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'verdigris.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Middle English vertegrese, borrowed from Anglo-French verdegrece, vert de Grece, literally, "green of Greece"
Note: The current form reflects French vert-de-gris, with the final syllable assimilated to gris "gray."
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
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Cite this Entry
“Verdigris.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verdigris. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
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Medical Definition
verdigris
noun
Geographical Definition
Verdigris
geographical name
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