verdigris
noun
-ˌgris
Did you know?
“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
Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2025
The cayos—or keys—are plops of milky sand ringed by bright verdigris; the waters are roaming territory for squid, turtles, pelicans, and iguanas.
—Lydia Bell, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Dec. 2024
With its gorgeous light-verdigris hue, Chamaerops humilis cerifera is originally from Morocco and known for its hardiness.
—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
Cite this Entry
“Verdigris.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verdigris. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
Copy CitationGeographical Definition
Verdigris
geographical name
Share