definitions

decalcomania

[ dih-kal-kuh-mey-nee-uh, -meyn-yuh ]
/ dɪˌkæl kəˈmeɪ ni ə, -ˈmeɪn yə /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR decalcomania ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the art or process of transferring pictures or designs from specially prepared paper to wood, metal, glass, etc.
decal(defs 1, 2).

RELATED WORDS

emblem, symbol, token, advertisement, decal, sticker

Nearby words

decahydronaphthalene, decal, decalage, decalcification, decalcify, decalcomania, decalescence, decalin, decaliter, decalitre, decalogue

Origin of decalcomania

1860–65; < French décalcomanie, equivalent to décalc- (representing décalquer to transfer a tracing of, equivalent to dé- de- + calquer to trace) + -o- -o- + -manie -mania
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for decalcomania

  • "I'd have to go home first and get my decalcomania book," Jimmy stipulated.

    The Believing Years|Edmund Lester Pearson

  • I remember once decorating a card for Mother with some decalcomania pictures.

    The Story of Porcelain|Sara Ware Bassett

  • The hat with movement is like a free-hand sketch, a hat without movement like a decalcomania.

    Woman as Decoration|Emily Burbank

British Dictionary definitions for decalcomania

decalcomania

/ (dɪˌkælkəˈmeɪnɪə) /

noun

the art or process of transferring a design from prepared paper onto another surface, such as china, glass or paper
a design so transferred

Word Origin for decalcomania

C19: from French décalcomanie, from décalquer to transfer by tracing, from dé- de- + calquer to trace + -manie -mania
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