Word of the Day: Polychromy

NOUN 1. The art of painting in several colors, especially as applied to ancient pottery, sculpture, and architecture.

Example Sentences.
1. "The artist's use of vivid polychromy is what makes his sculptures so unique."
2. "The ruins retain no traces of their original polychromy."
3. "Evidence of polychromy can be found in shards of pottery and on some preserved walls."

Word Origin.
Greek, mid-19th century

The word "polychromy" comes from the Greek "polukhrōmos," which pairs "polu" ("many") and "khroma" ("color"). While many Greco-Roman buildings and sculptures are famously depicted in flawless white marble, the ancient world was much more colorful than these images portray.