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Synonyms

fresco

American  
[fres-koh] / ˈfrɛs koʊ /

noun

plural

frescoes, frescos

  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.

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

"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
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.

Other Word Forms

  • frescoer noun
  • frescoist noun

Etymology

Origin of fresco

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

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.

His most spectacular paintings are frescoes, physically part of the walls of the Strozzi Chapel in the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence and the Carafa Chapel in Santa Maria Sopra Minerva in Rome.

From The Wall Street Journal

Cullinan said they "send and receive thousands of loans each year - including ancient frescoes and textiles which are older than the Bayeux tapestry".

From BBC

The Spanish parishioner who made headlines around the world for her botched restoration of a prized Jesus Christ fresco has died aged 94.

From BBC

A fresco in the Vatican Library shows bishops holding the Council of Nicaea in a basilica outside the walls of a fortified city, near a lake.

From The Wall Street Journal

The paved area surrounding the swimming pool has been extended to add an outdoor dining area that sits under a floral canopy, creating a perfect spot for al fresco meals.

From MarketWatch

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.