putto

[ poo-toh; Italian poot-taw ]

noun,plural put·ti [poo-tee; Italian poot-tee]. /ˈpu ti; Italian ˈput ti/. Fine Arts.
  1. a representation of a cherubic infant, often shown winged.

Origin of putto

1
1635–45; <Italian: literally, boy <Latin putus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use putto in a sentence

  • Little winged putti surround its base, and it ranks among the best productions of the accomplished Jacopo della Quercia.

    Cathedral Cities of Italy | William Wiehe Collins
  • A marble doorway surrounded by two putti bearing a shield, leads to the Hall of Saints.

    Pintoricchio | Evelyn March Phillipps
  • These three figures—with their lovely attendant putti—are among the finest of his works.

  • The five frescoed putti above and the scene of the reception of the Stigmata are probably by Girolamo del Pacchia.

  • He places two wingless putti in the air, but one holds up the other, and this action seems to sustain them both.

    Art Principles | Ernest Govett

British Dictionary definitions for putto

putto

/ (ˈpʊtəʊ) /


nounplural -ti (-tɪ)
  1. a representation of a small boy, a cherub or cupid, esp in baroque painting or sculpture: See also amoretto

Origin of putto

1
from Italian, from Latin putus boy

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