Etymology

posterize

post·er·ize
P3O1S1T1E1R1I1Z10E1

Today it means: To inadvertently or intentionally reduce the number of colours in (a photograph or other image), changing a continuous gradation of tone to several regions of fewer tones with abrupt changes from one tone to another. Full definition →

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The story

From poster + -ize (suffix forming verbs denoting something which is done or made). Sense 1.1 (“to reduce the number of colours”) refers to the original use of the process to produce posters. Sense 1.2 (“to score a slam dunk in basketball against (one or more opposing players) by leaping over them”) refers to the action being so spectacular as to warrant a photograph of it being printed on a poster.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.