polychrome Hear it!

polychrome Definition

poly·chrome (päli krōm′)

adjective

  1. polychromatic
  2. done or decorated in several colors

Etymology: Fr < Gr polychrōmos: see poly- & -chrome

noun

a polychrome work of art

polychrome Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • decoration: Many of the pieces retain their original polychrome decoration.
  • sculpture: The show that I mounted originally in 1993 was meant to address the re-emergence of polychrome figurative sculpture in the 1980s and early 1990s.
  • brickwork: Robinson was also responsible for the church of St. Luke, Upper Villiers Street, which is a riot of polychrome brickwork.
  • ware: They succeeded in developing many original decorative techniques including luster ware and a method of polychrome painted ware called Minai.
  • tile: It has vivid polychrome pictorial tiles depicting sailing ships.
  • bead: Particularly striking are several examples of polychrome glass beads stylistically and technically similar to beads believed to have been made in Java.

Modifying Another Word

originally: The wood was originally polychrome ( painted in several colors ), but the image does not retain the original color scheme.