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Glite Dictionary
🪡 Engraving tool 🖼️ Engraved print
dry point

dry point

8.9
A print made by scratching a metal plate with a hard needle to make dark, soft lines
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : grabado en punta seca
  • The artist created a beautiful dry point that captured the subtle textures of the landscape.

Examples

  • She learned the dry point technique in her printmaking class at university.

  • This gallery specializes in rare prints, including several Rembrandt dry points.

  • The artist created a stunning dry point print.

  • Many dry points feature intricate details.

  • In her workshop, she demonstrated how to make a dry point print using a sharp needle.

  • The exhibit featured a stunning dry point that showcased the artist's skill in engraving fine lines.

  • He was particularly proud of his latest dry point, which illustrated the delicate features of the subject.

Synonyms

drypoint
vsdry point
  • Specialized
9.3

A print made from a metal plate scratched with a sharp needle

is the same meaning but written as two words

Surface Forms

dry point singular
dry points plural

Morphology

dry + point

The term refers to a specialized printmaking technique (engraving a plate with a needle) that is not inferable from the basic senses of 'dry' (not wet) and 'point' (tip). A B1 learner who knows the constituent words would most likely interpret it literally (a dry tip) and would not predict the technical art meaning without prior exposure, so it is opaque.

Etymology

Dry point also means the print made by that method. Artists scratch a metal plate with a dry point, so the print picks up soft, rich lines, and the finished picture came to be called a 'dry point'.