fresco

noun

fres·​co ˈfre-(ˌ)skō How to pronounce fresco (audio)
plural frescoes
1
: the art of painting on freshly spread moist lime plaster with water-based pigments
2
: a painting executed in fresco
fresco transitive verb

Did you know?

If the word fresco brings to mind images of eating an alfresco meal—that is, a meal eaten outside “in the fresh air”—your gut is on the right track: fresco is Italian for “fresh,” and the culinary usage is relatively common in English. But what puts the “fresh” in the English fresco is not so appetizing: the name of this art form refers to the fresh plaster used in it. Fresco is an ancient art, used as early as the Minoan civilization on Crete, but it reached the height of its popularity during the Italian Renaissance of the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Fresco comes in two types: in fresco secco (“dry fresco”), a dry wall is soaked in limewater, and lime-resistant pigments are then applied; in buon fresco (“good fresco”; buon fresco is also called “true” fresco), used by Michelangelo in his 16th century Sistine Chapel frescos, pigments are fused directly with wet plaster.

Did you know?

Fresco and the Art World

The Italian word fresco means “fresh” and comes from a Germanic word akin to the source of English fresh. In the Renaissance, pittura a fresco, meaning “painting freshly,” referred to paint applied while the plaster on the wall was still wet, as opposed to pittura a secco “painting dryly,” in which paint is applied when the plaster was dry. In English, fresco appears earliest as part of the phrase in fresco; it does not appear as a noun referring to a painting until 1670. A different sense of Italian fresco, meaning “fresh air,” appears in the phrase al fresco “outdoors,” borrowed into English as alfresco and used particularly in reference to dining outdoors.

Examples of fresco in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The fresco portrays this moment: Helle is submerged in the water, reaching up toward her brother. Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024 With jaw-dropping views of Positano, the coast, and the rocks of Capri, many of the 57 rooms and suites have a private terrace and are filled with terracotta floors and Italian marble, while doors are adorned with frescoes. Jim Dobson, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 The town itself is still hemmed in by its ancient walls punctuated with watchtowers, and its cathedral dates back to the 1200s and contains several important frescoes and carvings. Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 25 Jan. 2024 The fresco offers a surrealist take on the celestial, playing off the Murano glass sea creatures and metal octopi that decorate each room. Zoe Dubno, Vogue, 24 Feb. 2024 Previous investigations identified queso fresco and similar cheeses as a potential outbreak source but couldn’t identify a specific brand. Korin Miller, Health, 7 Feb. 2024 Visitors can admire the stonework, arches, and frescoes and sip zivania, a Cypriot pumice brandy produced right on the premises. Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 13 Jan. 2024 Once the potatoes are fork-tender, add the queso fresco and remove from heat. Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2024 There is one bougainvillea-shaded taverna, which shares the village square with a tiny Byzantine chapel, decorated with magnificent 14th-century frescoes. New York Times, 25 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fresco.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from fresco fresh, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German frisc fresh

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fresco was in 1598

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near fresco

Cite this Entry

“Fresco.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fresco. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fresco

noun
fres·​co ˈfres-kō How to pronounce fresco (audio)
plural frescoes
1
: the art of painting on freshly spread moist plaster
2
: a painting done in fresco
Etymology

Italian, from fresco "fresh"

More from Merriam-Webster on fresco

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!