sfumato

American

[sfoo-mah-toh] / sfuˈmɑ toʊ /

noun

Fine Arts.

the subtle and minute gradation of tone and color used to blur or veil the contours of a form in painting.

sfumato British

/ sfuːˈmɑːtəʊ /

noun

(in painting) a gradual transition between areas of different colour, avoiding sharp outlines

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of sfumato

1840–50; < Italian, past participle of sfumare to gradate tone or color, equivalent to s- < Latin ex- ex- ¹ + fumare to smoke < Latin fumāre; see fume

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Choose a lighter, sweeter amaro or, should your smoke tolerance be higher, double down with Amaro Sfumato Rabarbaro, a smoky, alpine amaro made in northern Italy.

From New York Times • Nov. 24, 2021

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Sfumato Hair performs a funereal day spa.

From The Guardian • Jun. 21, 2016

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023