patina

[pat-n-uh, puh-tee-nuh]

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noun

a film or incrustation, usually green, produced by oxidation on the surface of old bronze and often esteemed as being of ornamental value.

a similar film or coloring appearing gradually on some other substance.

a surface calcification of implements, usually indicating great age.

Also patine

[puh-teen] /pəˈtin/.

Origin of patina

1740–50; < Italian: coating < Latin: pan. See paten

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for patina

gloss, glaze, shimmer, gleam, luster, sparkle, glitz, sheen, layer, sheet, coat, blanket, skin, crust, varnish, membrane, veneer, appearance, surface, enamel

Examples from the Web for patina

Contemporary Examples of patina

Organicness, too, can offer a patina of healthfulness to unsavory substances.
Your Health Food’s Hidden Sugar Bomb
Michael Schulson
July 8, 2014
Sandoval has also managed to burnish his image with a patina of integrity in the scandal-scarred Silver State.
Nevada Guv Faces Fans and Foes in Reelection
Lloyd Green
March 18, 2014
The latter provided numbers, passion, righteousness, self-righteousness, and a patina of faux populist clout.
The South Has Indeed Risen Again and It’s Called the Tea Party
Jack Schwartz
December 8, 2013
Patina Miller in Pippin is the polar opposite of a princess—hard-edged and icy, wearing black pants and boots, oozing power.
Who’ll Win a 2013 Tony Award—and Who Deserves To
Janice Kaplan
June 6, 2013
They grounded the curious and unexpected fabrics with their texture and patina.
Balenciaga’s Nicolas Ghesquiere Shows Whispers of Brilliance in Spring 2013 Collection
Robin Givhan
September 27, 2012

Historical Examples of patina

Soon it would acquire a patina and become part of the jungle.
When the Owl Cries
Paul Bartlett
Patina is a most fascinating subject, once you get thoroughly into it.
The Abandoned Farmers
Irvin S. Cobb
In fact among friends I am now getting to be known as the Patina Kid.
The Abandoned Farmers
Irvin S. Cobb
The percentage of lead in the patina has also slightly increased.
The Preservation of Antiquities
Friedrich Rathgen
If there is a tone or patina, that should be pure and uniform.
The Confessions of a Collector
William Carew Hazlitt

British Dictionary definitions for patina

patina

noun plural -nas

a film of oxide formed on the surface of a metal, esp the green oxidation of bronze or copperSee also verdigris (def. 1)

any fine layer on a surfacea patina of frost

the sheen on a surface that is caused by much handling

Word Origin for patina

C18: from Italian: coating, from Latin: patina ²

patina

noun plural -nae (-ˌniː)

a broad shallow dish used in ancient Rome

Word Origin for patina

from Latin, from Greek patanē platter

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

Word Origin and History for patina

"greenish film on old bronze," 1748, from French patine (18c.), from Italian patina, perhaps from Latin patina "dish, pan" (see pan (n.)), on the notion of encrustation on ancient bronze dishes. Sense of "refinement, cultural sophistication" first recorded 1933.