pointillism
[ pwan-tl-iz-uh m, -tee-iz-, poin-tl-iz- ]
/ ˈpwæn tlˌɪz əm, -tiˌɪz-, ˈpɔɪn tlˌɪz- /
noun (sometimes initial capital letter)
a theory and technique developed by the neo-impressionists, based on the principle that juxtaposed dots of pure color, as blue and yellow, are optically mixed into the resulting hue, as green, by the viewer.
Nearby words
pointed wart, pointel, pointer, pointers, pointillage, pointillism, pointillistic, pointillé, pointing, pointing device, pointless
Origin of pointillism
Related forms
poin·til·list, noun, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for pointillism
pointillism
/ (ˈpwæntɪˌlɪzəm, -tiːˌɪzəm, ˈpɔɪn-) /
noun
the technique of painting elaborated from impressionism, in which dots of unmixed colour are juxtaposed on a white ground so that from a distance they fuse in the viewer's eye into appropriate intermediate tonesAlso called: divisionism
Derived Forms
pointillist, noun, adjectiveWord Origin for pointillism
C19: from French, from pointiller to mark with tiny dots, from pointille little point, from Italian puntiglio, from punto point
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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