graffiti
pronunciation
How to pronounce graffiti in British English:
UK [ɡrəˈfiːti]
How to pronounce graffiti in American English:
US [ɡrəˈfiːti]
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- Noun:
- a rude decoration inscribed on rocks or walls
Word Origin
- graffiti
- graffiti: [19] Although it denotes ‘writing’, graffiti has no etymological connection with Greek gráphein, source of English graphic. It comes from the plural of Italian graffito, a diminutive form of the noun graffio ‘scratching’. This was derived from the verb graffiare ‘scratch’, itself originally formed from graffio ‘hook’.
- graffiti (n.)
- 1851, "ancient wall inscriptions found in the ruins of Pompeii," from Italian graffiti, plural of graffito "a scribbling," a diminutive formation from graffio "a scratch or scribble," from graffiare "to scribble," ultimately from Greek graphein "to scratch, draw, write" (see -graphy). They are found in many ancient places, but the habit was especially popular among the Romans. Sense extended 1877 to recently made crude drawings and scribbling in public places.
Example
- 1. Graffiti may even be as old as writing itself .
- 2. You know the guy that writes graffiti around here ?
- 3. She starts by getting them to depict their lives in spray-painted graffiti on giant sheets of paper , or by making models from sand or clay .
- 4. So I wrote american graffiti .
- 5. The outcome is a low sneaker with a crazy graffiti inspired all-over design .