Pompeian
Americanadjective
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of or relating to Pompeii, or its culture.
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pertaining to or designating a style of mural painting, examples of which have been found in or near Pompeii, Herculaneum, etc., dating from about the beginning of the 1st century b.c. to a.d. 79, characterized chiefly by the illusion of three-dimensional form organized in an architectonic structure.
noun
Etymology
Origin of Pompeian
From the Latin word Pompeiānus, dating back to 1825–35. See Pompeii, -an
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.
Von Stuck delights in contrasts: On the “Orpheus wall,” he enthrones the mythical lyre-player above tamed animals in an architectural fresco based on Pompeian murals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
We're partial to the specialty brand Valpolicella, as well as the grocery store favorite Pompeian.
From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2022
This first "Pompeian human genome" is an almost complete set of "genetic instructions" from the victims, encoded in DNA extracted from their bones.
From BBC ● May 26, 2022
On a recent afternoon, Mr. Viliani began a packed tour by ruminating, fittingly, on a Pompeian door.
From New York Times ● Jan. 3, 2018
She thought she must be dreaming when she saw that her husband had changed out of his wedding suit into black silk pajamas and a velvet Pompeian bathrobe.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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.
