Dictionary.com

craquelure

[ krak-loor, krak-loor; French krakuh-lyr ]
/ krækˈlʊər, ˈkræk lʊər; French krakəˈlür /

noun, plural cra·que·lures [krak-loorz, krak-loorz; French krakuh-lyr]. /krækˈlʊərz, ˈkræk lʊərz; French krakəˈlür/.

a network of fine cracks or crackles on the surface of a painting, caused chiefly by shrinkage of paint film or varnish.

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Origin of craquelure

First recorded in 1910–15; <French, equivalent to craquel(er) “to crackle, crack” (imitative) + -ure -ure

Words nearby craquelure

crapshooter, crapulence, crapulent, crapulous, crap up, craquelure, crash, crash and burn, Crashaw, crash barrier, crash blossom
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for craquelure

craquelure
/ (ˈkrækəlʊə) /

noun

a network of fine cracks on old paintings caused by the deterioration of pigment or varnish

Word Origin for craquelure

C20: from French, from craqueler to crackle, from craquer to crack, of imitative origin
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