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lettering

lettering

18 2.8
Words painted or carved on a surface to show a name
  • noun
  • /ˈlɛtərɪŋ/
: inscripción
  • She admired the elegant lettering beautifully carved into the wooden sign.
  • Roman lettering
  • block lettering

The real solution is the key caps with the reverse lettering and built in rear view mirrors.

Examples

  • Through the broad windshield, she spied the familiar red and gold lettering in the distance.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • His face, ten feet tall, accompanied by big bold lettering: ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER IS JACK SLATER!

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Bright yellow with the lettering in black.

  • What does this lettering mean?

  • Below it, where the custom lettering was supposed to be, it said: YOUR NAME.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • You can see the lettering on the mug.

  • Above his head, embossed in gold lettering, it said, "Favorite Son."

    Fiction book (1998)
  • So we went over there to inspect it and we saw that there is Chinese lettering all over the crates.

  • Smudges marked the pages here and there, but the lettering was neat, each letter carefully curved to completion.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Looking at its frosted-glass door, the sign painter is just finishing lettering in: NORVILLE BARNES, President.

    Fiction book (1994)

Synonyms

writing
vslettering
212 1.0

Marks or letters on a surface that show language

is narrower, focusing specifically on decorative or identifying surface words
inscription
vslettering
63 4.8

Words carved on a hard surface like a stone or coin

is more often decorative or identifying rather than a formal record
type
vslettering
  • Archaic
28 3.7

The letters or characters used in printing, like those on a page

is about printed character shapes rather than hand applied decorative text
calligraphy
vslettering
15 7.1

Beautiful writing done by hand used for decoration or art

is about words on surfaces used mainly to decorate or identify items
epigraph
vslettering
1 9.8

Words carved on a building, statue, or coin to remember someone

is used more for decoration or identification, not mainly for memorials
superscription
vslettering
1 9.9

A short heading written above things such as a book or envelope

is more often decorative or identifying text rather than a simple heading
scriptum
vslettering
  • Archaic
9.9

Writing cut or painted on a hard surface like stone

focuses on decorative or identifying text rather than any surface writing

How Decorative

lettering
18 2.8
block letter
4 3.0

Surface Forms

lettering singular
letterings plural

Morphology

lettering = letter (transparent) = letter + ing

The word is a regular noun formed from the verb 'letter' with '-ing', referring to the resulting lettering or act of lettering.

Etymology

The word lettering comes from the simple word letter, from an old Latin word for a 'written sign', plus the ending -ing, which turns it into a thing. So lettering means the letters or words that are written, carved, or painted on a surface, often as decoration or a name.