Lithograph
/ˈlɪθəɡræf/noun
A print made from a flat stone or metal surface treated so that ink only sticks to the intended image areas; also the process of making such prints.
Did you know?Lithography was invented by Alois Senefelder in the late 18th century, and its name comes from Greek roots for “stone” and “writing,” because the image is drawn directly on a flat stone plate.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*legʰ-
“to collect, gather, pick out”
Ancient Greek
Greek
λίθος (lithos)
“stone”
Ancient Greek
Greek
γράφειν (graphein)
“to write, scratch, inscribe”
1790s
French/English
lithographie
“the art or process of printing from a stone”
19th Century
English
lithograph
“a print made by lithography or the process itself”
Modern English
English
lithograph
“a print produced from a prepared flat surface, especially stone”
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