lithograph
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lithograph
First recorded in 1815–25; back formation from lithography
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Explanation
A lithograph is a print that's made using a stone or metal plate. Lithographs are etched into the plate using a chemical reaction. To make a lithograph, an artist draws a design or on the stone plate with a waxy crayon or oil-based ink. After treating the plate with several layers of material, including rosin, talc, and an acidic solution, the lithographer applies ink with a roller. The oily ink only sticks to the waxy image, not the area around it; the resulting lithograph is a crisp reverse image on paper. The Greek roots of lithograph mean "stone" and "to draw."
Vocabulary lists containing lithograph
Visual Arts - High School
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Art History
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Visual Arts - Middle School
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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.
The couple purchased the lithograph in Beverly Hills through Facebook Marketplace.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2026
The lithograph is among 140 pieces available from a range of artists that can be viewed and selected from the gallery until Sunday.
From BBC • Nov. 28, 2025
“Henri Rousseau: A Painter’s Secrets,” a thematic survey of 55 paintings and one lithograph at the Barnes Foundation, is that rare, magical exhibition that casts a storybook spell.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 15, 2025
Then, she visited Gemini G.E.L., a new printmaking workshop in Los Angeles, to see if she could make a lithograph there.
From New York Times • Oct. 19, 2023
Leah was buried at New York’s elegant Green-Wood Cemetery, portrayed in this 1867 lithograph much like the heavenly Spiritualist Summerland.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
