aquatint
Americannoun
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a process imitating the broad flat tints of ink or wash drawings by etching a microscopic crackle on the copperplate intended for printing.
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an etching made by this process.
verb (used with or without object)
noun
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a technique of etching copper with acid to produce an effect resembling the flat tones of wash or watercolour. The tone or tint is obtained by acid (aqua) biting through the pores of a ground that only partially protects the copper
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an etching made in this way
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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aquatintsimple
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aquatintssimple
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have aquatintedperfect
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has aquatintedperfect
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am aquatintingprogressive
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are aquatintingprogressive
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is aquatintingprogressive
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have been aquatintingperfect progressive
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has been aquatintingperfect progressive
Past
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aquatintedsimple
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had aquatintedperfect
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was aquatintingprogressive
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were aquatintingprogressive
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had been aquatintingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of aquatint
1775–85; variant of aqua-tinta < Italian acqua tinta literally, tinted water. See aqua, tint
Vocabulary lists containing aquatint
Elements of the Universe: Aqua ("Water")
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"The Deep," Vocabulary from the short story
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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.
In an 1803 etching and aquatint with watercolor by Thomas Daniell, we see Gangaram absorbed in sketching wall reliefs of Shiva and Parvati from a rock-cut cave at Ellora.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
The composition was inspired by Francisco de Goya’s renowned, politically trenchant aquatint, “The sleep of reason produces monsters.”
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 12, 2022
The first thing you see when the curtain goes up on “Plaza Suite” is an aquatint image of that grand hotel in its antique glory.
From New York Times • Mar. 28, 2022
As aquatint spread through Europe, it found pragmatic uses.
From Washington Post • Jan. 13, 2022
Dry-point, etching proper, and engraving proper are often combined in one plate; and a mixture of etching with mezzotint or aquatint is not uncommon.
From The New Gresham Encyclopedia Volume 4, Part 3: Estremoz to Felspar by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
