fresco

American  

[fres-koh] / ˈfrɛs koʊ /

noun

frescoes, plural frescos plural

1. Also called buon fresco.  Also called true fresco.  the art or technique of painting on a moist, plaster surface with colors ground up in water or a limewater mixture.

2. a picture or design so painted.

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verb (used with object)

frescoed, frescoing

1. to paint in fresco.

fresco British  

/ ˈfrɛskəʊ /

noun

1. a very durable method of wall-painting using watercolours on wet plaster or, less properly, dry plaster ( fresco secco ), with a less durable result

2. a painting done in this way

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fresco Cultural  

1. A painting on wet plaster. When the plaster dries, the painting is bonded to the wall. Fresco was a popular method for painting large murals during the Renaissance. The Last Supper, by Leonardo da Vinci, is a fresco, as are the paintings by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• frescoer
  noun
• frescoist
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• frescoes
  plural
• frescos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of fresco

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Italian: “cool, fresh,” of Germanic origin; see fresh

Explanation

Whether you've studied art history or not, you're probably familiar with the world's most famous fresco: Michelangelo's paintings on the walls and ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. To paint a fresco, you must apply paint to freshly applied plaster that is still wet, and you better get it right the first time. Too slow and the plaster hardens, and then you've got a lot of chipping away to do. Fresco comes from the Italian fresco, meaning "cool" or "fresh," which describes exactly the fast, unlabored technique required of fresco painting.

Example Sentences

Stop by Fresco Italian Cafe and grab an Italian ice to enjoy while on the canal.

From Salon • Jan. 13, 2026

"Even if only 2% of Chinese people want to buy durians, that's more than enough business," says Chee Seng Wong, factory manager of Fresco Green, a durian exporter in Raub.

From BBC • Jan. 10, 2026

Mayor Eric Garcetti is tweaking L.A.’s Al Fresco dining program, which city officials may make permanent in the fall.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 8, 2023

It was late spring when the family got in to see Dr. Steven Frucht, director of the Fresco Institute for Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders at N.Y.U.

From New York Times • Feb. 7, 2023

Fresco, and to paint in Fresco or Freth, is an Italian Phrase, and it signifies the Painting which is made upon the Plaistering before it be dry.

From An Abridgment of the Architecture of Vitruvius Containing a System of the Whole Works of that Author by Perrault, Claude

Related Words

• brush
• coat
• cover
• daub
• decorate
• depict
• design
• draw
• dye
• portray
• sketch
• tint
• wash