fresco

[ fres-koh ]

noun

, plural fres·coes, fres·cos.

1. Also called buon fresco, the art or technique of painting on a moist, plaster surface with colors ground up in water or a limewater mixture. Compare fresco secco.
2. a picture or design so painted.

verb (used with object)

, fres·coed, fres·co·ing.

1. to paint in fresco.

fresco

/ ˈfrɛskəʊ /

noun

1. a very durable method of wall-painting using watercolours on wet plaster or, less properly, dry plaster ( fresco secco ), with a less durable result
2. a painting done in this way

fresco

1. A painting on wet plaster. When the plaster dries, the painting is bonded to the wall. Fresco was a popular method for painting large murals during the Renaissance . The Last Supper, by Leonardo da Vinci , is a fresco, as are the paintings by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel .

Other Words From

• fres·co·er fres·co·ist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of fresco¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Italian: “cool, fresh,” of Germanic origin; fresh

Word History and Origins

Origin of fresco¹

C16: from Italian: fresh plaster, coolness, from fresco (adj) fresh, cool, of Germanic origin

Example Sentences

The most fascinating is the complex compositional analysis of the figures in Leonardo’s second most famous painting, “The Last Supper,” that vast fresco in a communal dining room of a Dominican convent in Milan.

From Los Angeles Times

Earlier this year, archaeologists revealed frescos of mythical Greek figures including Helen of Troy and Apollo.

From BBC

Summer is a streak of extroversion and adventure full of unhurried afternoons and al fresco dining.

From Los Angeles Times

“Something crazy happened to me the other day,” Lucas Bravo says as he sits al fresco at Swingers, the diner that’s a longtime staple along Beverly Boulevard in West Hollywood, on a sticky August day.

From Los Angeles Times

Lavish dinner al fresco with open bar, followed by an hourlong show with hula, drumming and chanting.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• brush
• coat
• cover
• daub
• decorate
• depict
• design
• draw
• dye
• portray
• sketch
• tint
• wash