fresco
UK[ˈfrɛskəʊ]US[ˈfrɛskoʊ]
n
a painting done rapidly in watercolour on wet plaster on a wall or ceiling, so that the colours penetrate the plaster and become fixed as it dries.
n
the method of painting frescoes.
Etymology
the english word 'fresco' is a direct borrowing from the italian adjective 'fresco', meaning 'fresh'. this italian term itself descends from the germanic root friskaz, which entered the latin of late antiquity as 'friscus'. the artistic technique gets its name because the plaster ('intonaco') on which the artist paints must be fresh and damp. thus, the instruction 'a fresco' (meaning 'on fresh plaster') in italian condensed into the single noun in english, perfectly capturing the essential, time-sensitive condition of the medium. this etymological journey from a general adjective meaning 'fresh' to a highly specific artistic term illustrates how a practical descriptor became a technical label.
Analysis
the entire word 'fresco' is a simplex loanword from italian. it does not contain separable morphemes in its modern english spelling.
Examples
the ceiling of the sistine chapel is decorated with magnificent frescoes by michelangelo.
the artist specialized in the difficult technique of true fresco, or buon fresco.
damp conditions in the old church have caused the medieval fresco to deteriorate.