aquatint

A1Q10U1A1T1I1N1T1
/ˈækwətɪnt/

noun

A form of etching with acid on a plate partially covered with varnish that produces a print somewhat resembling a watercolour.

OriginItalian acquatinta →
UncommonScrabble 17
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounaquatint (plural aquatints)

plural aquatints

  1. A form of etching with acid on a plate partially covered with varnish that produces a print somewhat resembling a watercolour.

    Aquatint is a laborious process that involves acids and resistants and emphasizes tone over line.

    2023, Justin Torres, Blackouts, Granta Books (2024), page 287
  2. An etching or print made using this method.

    Been thinking of my grandfather, whose wayward brilliance skipped my father’s generation. Once, he showed me an aquatint of a certain Siamese temple.

    2004, David Mitchell, “Letters From Zedelghem”, in Cloud Atlas, →ISBN, page 81
verbaquatint (third-person singular simple present aquatints, present participle aquatinting, simple past and past participle aquatinted)

present singular third person aquatints · participle present aquatinting · participle past aquatinted · past aquatinted

  1. To make such etchings.

Origin

  1. Italianacquatinta
  2. Englishaquatint

Borrowed from Italian acquatinta (literally “dyed water”).

More words from Italian

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan aiguatinta, aiguatinta
  • aiguatintaform of etching with acid on a plate
  • aiguatintaetching or print
Czech akvatinta
  • akvatintaform of etching with acid on a plate
Danish akvatinte
  • akvatinteform of etching with acid on a plate
Dutch aquatint, aquatint
  • aquatintform of etching with acid on a plate
  • aquatintetching or print
Esperanto akvatinto, akvatintaĵo
  • akvatintoform of etching with acid on a plate
  • akvatintaĵoetching or print
  • akvatinta gravuraĵoetching or print
Estonian akvatinta
  • akvatintaform of etching with acid on a plate
Finnish akvatinta, akvatinta
  • akvatintaform of etching with acid on a plate
  • akvatintaetching or print
  • tehdä akvatintojato make such etchings
French aquatinte
  • aquatinteform of etching with acid on a plate
German Aquatinta, Tuschätzung
  • Aquatintaform of etching with acid on a plate
  • Tuschätzungform of etching with acid on a plate
Greek ακουατίντα
  • ακουατίντα (akouatínta)form of etching with acid on a plate
Hebrew אקווטינטה, אקווטינט
  • אקווטינטהform of etching with acid on a plate
  • אקווטינטform of etching with acid on a plate
Hungarian foltmaratás
  • foltmaratásform of etching with acid on a plate
Indonesian cetak akua, cetak akua
  • cetak akuaform of etching with acid on a plate
  • cetak akuaetching or print
Japanese アクアチント
  • アクアチント (Akuachinto)form of etching with acid on a plate
Latvian akvatinta
  • akvatintaform of etching with acid on a plate
Lithuanian akvatinta
  • akvatintaform of etching with acid on a plate
Polish akwatinta, akwatynta
  • akwatintaform of etching with acid on a plate
  • akwatyntaform of etching with acid on a plate
  • akwatintaetching or print
  • akwatyntaetching or print
Portuguese água-tinta, aquatinta
  • água-tintaform of etching with acid on a plate
  • aquatintaform of etching with acid on a plate
Romanian acvatintă
  • acvatintăform of etching with acid on a plate
Russian аквати́нта
  • аквати́нта (akvatínta)form of etching with acid on a plate
Cite this entry
APA

aquatint. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aquatint

MLA

“aquatint.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aquatint. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “aquatint,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aquatint.

Source: aquatint on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.