niello

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian niello, from Late Latin nigellum, from Latin nigellus (“blackish”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /niˈɛləʊ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /niˈɛloʊ/

Noun

niello (countable and uncountable, plural niellos or nielli)

1. (metallurgy) Any of various black metal alloys, made of sulphur with copper, silver or lead, used to create decorative designs on other metals.
   • 2006, Thomas Pynchon, Against the Day, Vintage 2007, p. 283:

     a young woman named Renata, with a gesturing of her dark curls, beckoned him in with a cigarette-case of Russian silver and niello, which sprang open to reveal a collection of “smokes” […]

2. An impression on paper taken from the engraved or incised surface before the niello alloy has been inlaid.

Verb

niello (third-person singular simple present niellos, present participle nielloing, simple past and past participle nielloed)

1. (transitive) To decorate (a surface) using this technique.

Anagrams

• Lionel, O'Neill, lionel, loline, nollie

Etymology

From Late Latin nigellum, from Latin nigellus.

Noun

niello m (plural nielli)

1. niello

Verb

niello

1. first-person singular present indicative of niellare