niello
Americannoun
plural
nielli-
a black metallic substance, consisting of silver, copper, lead, and sulfur, with which an incised design or ground is filled to produce an ornamental effect on metal.
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ornamental work so produced.
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a specimen of such work.
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a print on paper made from an incised metal plate before the application of niello and associated especially with 15th-century Italy.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a black compound of sulphur and silver, lead, or copper used to incise a design on a metal surface
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the process of decorating surfaces with niello
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a surface or object decorated with niello
verb
Other Word Forms
- niellist noun
Etymology
Origin of niello
1810–20; < Italian < Latin nigellus blackish, diminutive of niger black
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That stalled law now serves as the inspiration for Sen. Niello’s newly introduced SB 1278.
From Los Angeles Times
Niello said he hoped that the public outrage triggered by Funston’s case would increase the likelihood of the bill passing this year.
From Los Angeles Times
After a multi-year campaign by Save the Snakes, state Sen. Roger Niello and the California Rice Commission, the bill was signed into law Thursday.
From Los Angeles Times
But, in light of a recent report by the State Auditor’s Office concluding that the state has failed to adequately monitor the outcomes of its vast spending on homelessness programs, Niello remained skeptical.
From Los Angeles Times
“He used the word accountable and accountability so many times that if I had a nickel for every time he used it, I would have enough to pay for the lunch I’m going to,” Niello said.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
