sgraffito

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: sgraf=fi=to

CIDE DICTIONARY

sgraffito, a. [It.].

 Scratched; -- said of decorative painting of a certain style, in which a white overland surface is cut or scratched through, so as to form the design from a dark ground underneath.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

sgraffito, n. (pl. sgraffiti) a form of decoration made by scratching through wet plaster on a wall or through slip on ceramic ware, showing a different-coloured under-surface.

Etymology

It., past part. of sgraffire scratch f. s- = EX-(1) + graffio scratch