alla prima

[ ah-luh -pree-muh ]

/ ˈɑ lə ˈpri mə /

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noun Fine Arts.

a painting technique in which a canvas is completed in one session, often having a thickly applied impasto.

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Origin of alla prima

<Italian: literally, at the first

Words nearby alla prima

allantoid membrane, allantoidoangiopagous twins, allantoin, allantoinuria, allantois, alla prima, allargando, all-around, al-Lat, allative, all at once

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use alla prima in a sentence

Here, breakfast begins with a crusty cornetto alla crema served by a formal, dinner jacket-wearing waiter.
Palermo Is Not Just for the Mafia Anymore|Alia Akkam|August 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This is prima facia evidence of the delusional attitude that the administration had toward Vladimir Putin.
Exclusive: McCain Tells Obama How to Punish Putin|Josh Rogin|March 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She was also the first Native American prima ballerina … anywhere.
The Deaths You Missed This Year|Malcolm Jones, Jimmy So, Michael Moynihan, Caitlin Dickson|December 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“Here, aim for this,” Alla Kornikova (his mom) says to Allan, who lives with her in Palm Beach, Florida.
Meet the Pint-Sized Pro Golfers of Netflix’s ‘The Short Game’|Abby Haglage|December 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Whereas I saw her just a few nights ago on TCM in something called Boys Night Out from 1962 and she was alla dat, as they say.
Friday Rank 'Em: A New Tomasky Blog Feature|Michael Tomasky|January 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The tenor dies; the prima donna appears to do the same, but the libretto consoles you by declaring that she only swoons.
Physiology of The Opera|John H. Swaby (AKA "Scrici")
Prima facie, the verdict here is less favorable than in the previous case.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
Ledit Patriarche y alla, & avec vn truchement fit envers lui ce qui estoit de l'office d'un bon Pasteur.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
He sang bravura airs with a facility of vocalisation any prima donna might have envied.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste Tchaikovsky
Even here the glorious voice of the prima donna floated clear as a silver bell.
The Weight of the Crown|Fred M. White

British Dictionary definitions for alla prima

alla prima

/ (ˈɑːlɑː ˈpriːmə) /

adjective

(of a painting) painted with a single layer of paint, in contrast to paintings built up layer by layer

Word Origin for alla prima

C19: from Italian: at once

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