tempera
tempera Lexical Profile
tempera Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A method of painting in which dry pigments are mixed with a water-soluble glutinous binder, typically egg yolk, to produce a fast-drying, durable matte finish.
"Before the widespread adoption of oil paint in the late Renaissance, artists primarily worked in tempera on wooden panels."
The paint or pigment mixture used in this painting method, or an opaque water-based poster paint commonly used in schools.
"The elementary school students used bright tempera to paint murals on large sheets of butcher paper."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'tempera' (the painting medium) with 'tempura' (a Japanese dish of battered and deep-fried seafood or vegetables).
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the mid-19th century from Italian 'tempera', from the phrase 'pingere a tempera' (to paint in distemper), ultimately derived from Latin 'temperare' meaning 'to mix or mingle in due proportion'.