Word Study
graffiti (root: graffito)
CIDE DICTIONARY
graffiti, n. pl. [It., pl. of graffito scratched].
- Inscriptions, figure drawings, etc., found on the walls of ancient sepulchers or ruins, as in the Catacombs, or at Pompeii. [1913 Webster]
- any writings or drawings on a surface in a public place, placed there without authorization of the owner of the object on which it is written. Such graffiti are usually unwelcome, and are considered as form of vandalism. [PJC]
For further exploring for "graffiti" in Webster Dictionary Online