copperplate engraving
- noun
- /ˈkɑːpərˌpleɪt ɪnˈɡreɪvɪŋ/
- Specialized
:
grabado en cobre
- The artist showcased a beautiful copperplate engraving at the gallery.
Examples
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She studied the art of copperplate engraving during her time at the academy.
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I learned about copperplate engravings in my art class.
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Many old maps were produced using copperplate engraving techniques.
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The museum displays a rare copperplate engraving from the eighteenth century.
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The artist created beautiful illustrations using copperplate engraving techniques.
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In the museum, we admired several copperplate engravings from the 18th century.
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Many historical documents were reproduced using copperplate engraving for their fine detail.
Synonyms
105
3.6
A picture made by pressing paper on a carved surface with ink
25
4.1
A picture made by cutting or etching a hard surface
14
6.3
A picture made by cutting a metal plate with acid or the process of making that picture
A print made from a copper plate with lines cut into it, often of pictures or maps
A picture made by cutting lines into metal and then printing it
A picture printed from a steel plate with a design cut into it
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'an engraving made from a copper plate' is directly and compositionally derived from 'copperplate' (an etched metal plate) + 'engraving' (a print produced by cutting or etching). This noun–noun compound follows a straightforward, cross-linguistically common pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Copperplate engraving comes from an old printing method where artists cut a design into a smooth copper plate. Ink sat in the cut lines and a sheet of paper was pressed on top to make a 'print', so the term now means an image made by printing from a copper plate.