scumble

[ skuhm-buhl ]

verb (used with object),scum·bled, scum·bling.
  1. to soften (the color or tone of a painted area) by overlaying parts with opaque or semiopaque color applied thinly and lightly with an almost dry brush.

noun
  1. the act or technique of scumbling.

  2. the effect produced by this technique.

Origin of scumble

1
1790–1800; perhaps equivalent to scum (v.) + -le, with intrusive b

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for scumble

scumble

/ (ˈskʌmbəl) /


verb
  1. (in painting and drawing) to soften or blend (an outline or colour) with an upper coat of opaque colour, applied very thinly

noun
  1. the upper layer of colour applied in this way

  2. the technique or effects of scumbling

Origin of scumble

1
C18: probably from scum

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012