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intarsia - 2 dictionary results

in⋅tar⋅si⋅a

   [in-tahr-see-uh]
–noun
an art or technique of decorating a surface with inlaid patterns, esp. of wood mosaic, developed during the Renaissance.
Also, tarsia.

Origin:
1860–65; alter. (influenced by It tarsia) of It intarsio, deriv. of intarsiare to inlay, equiv. to in- in- 2 + tarsiare < Ar tarṣīʿ an inlay, incrustation; see tarsia
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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in·tar·si·a     (ĭn-tär'sē-ə)  Pronunciation Key 
n.  
  1. A decorative inlaid pattern in a surface, especially a mosaic worked in wood.
  2. A knitted design resembling a mosaic that is visible on both sides of a fabric.
  3. The art or practice of making intarsias.


[German, from Italian intarsio, from intarsiare, to inlay : in-, in (from Latin; see in-2) + tarsia, inlaid mosaic work (from Arabic tarṣī', inlaying, setting, infinitive of raṣṣa'a, to inlay, derived stem of raṣi'a, to adhere; see rṣʕ in Semitic roots).]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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