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.
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
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
You'll see all the talents of the Richland artist in this 15-year retrospective — etching, drypoint, mezzotint, Chine colle and engraving.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 18, 2012
Soon after, he turned his attention to producing a series of mezzotint engravings to illustrate John Milton's "Paradise Lost" after receiving a hefty commission.
From Reuters • Sep. 19, 2011
Artistic Qualities.—Although capable of most charming effects, the mezzotint process never became a really serious menace to line engraving, with its firm and expressive outlines and peculiarly lustrous textures.
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.
