mezzotint
Americannoun
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a method of engraving on copper or steel by burnishing or scraping away a uniformly roughened surface.
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a print produced by this method.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a method of engraving a copper plate by scraping and burnishing the roughened surface
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a print made from a plate so treated
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of mezzotint
First recorded in 1730–40, mezzotint is from the Italian word mezzotinto half-tint. See mezzo, tint
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.
Organisers said the exhibition of mezzotint prints would be hosted at the Cornish gallery, Kestle Barton, and featured works by artist Sarah Gillespie.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026
An eighteenth-century mezzotint of a bust of Galen, by John Faber after a drawing by Peter Paul Rubens.Credit:
From Nature ● Aug. 19, 2018
In a book stuffed with exquisite mezzotint plates, Wright also conceived of another revolutionary concept: a multigalaxy cosmos.
From New York Times ● Oct. 13, 2014
The mezzotint tells the story of the abduction of the infant heir from Anningley Hall, in MR James's "The Mezzotint".
From The Guardian ● Dec. 21, 2012
The leading or essential lines of each picture were etched, probably by Turner himself, and the mezzotint added by other engravers.
From Engraving for Illustration Historical and Practical Notes by Kirkbride, Joseph
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.
