Meaning & use
frescoes
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“frescoes” is a form of “fresco”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounpluralspecialist
Paintings made on freshly applied wet plaster, so that the colors dry into the wall.
Grammar: Plural of fresco; also spelled frescos.
Patterns
- frescoes on something
The chapel is famous for its frescoes by Giotto.
Tourists gather to look at the ancient frescoes in Pompeii.
Restorers cleaned centuries of smoke from the frescoes.
nounpluralinformal
Large wall paintings in general that decorate churches, palaces or public buildings, whether or not painted on wet plaster.
Grammar: Used loosely for any wall painting.
Patterns
- frescoes in something
Colorful frescoes covered the ceiling of the hotel lobby.
The villa's frescoes showed gardens and birds.
Local artists painted frescoes along the corridor.
Word forms
| singular | fresco |
|---|
Common combinations
- ancient frescoes
- Archaeologists found ancient frescoes beneath the plaster.
- restore the frescoes
- Experts spent years restoring the frescoes.
- painted frescoes
- The monastery has beautifully painted frescoes.
- faded frescoes
- Faded frescoes lined the cloister walls.
- Renaissance frescoes
- Florence is home to many Renaissance frescoes.
Synonyms and how they differ
- murals
- Murals are any large wall paintings, while frescoes must be made on wet plaster.
- wall paintings
- Wall paintings is a plain, descriptive term that does not mention technique.
- paintings
- Paintings is much broader and includes canvas work.
- tempera
- Tempera is a different technique using egg-based paint, often on panels.
Word family
Commonly confused: frescoes or frescos?
frescoes vs frescos
Frescos is simply the other accepted plural; it does not change the meaning.
Practice
Visitors to the chapel were amazed by the ___ painted directly onto the wet plaster centuries ago.
Choose one answer.
Frescoes are painted on wet plaster. Tapestries are woven, mosaics use small tiles, and sculptures are carved or modelled.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “frescoes”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.