|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries: |
Research categories | Follow us on Twitter |
Research categories
View all topics in the newsView all reference sources at Encyclopedia.com |
|||
enamel
enamel. A smooth, glossy material made by fusing glass to a prepared surface, usually of metal, by means of intense heat. The term is also applied to any object made of, or decorated with, this material. Though easily fractured, enamel is otherwise extremely durable and gives great brilliance of colour, especially when used in translucent form against a ground of precious material. The colour can come from the use of coloured glass or from the application of colour to plain enamel. Enamel is thought to be of western Asiatic origin and was well known in the ancient Mediterranean world, the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans making extensive use of it in jewellery. In the Middle Ages—in both Byzantium and western Europe—enamels were much used for the decoration of various types of ecclesiastical art—book covers, reliquaries, Crucifixes, and so on—and they were sometimes used on a larger scale, as for example in Nicolas of Verdun's Klosterneuburg Altar, completed in 1181. Nicolas came from the Mosan region (in present-day Belgium), which in his time was the centre of the highest-quality enamelwork. Later in the Middle Ages the French city of Limoges became the best-known centre of production, catering for the mass market and making secular objects (caskets, rings, and so on) as well as religious ones. The great days of enamel were over by the end of the 16th century, although it continued to be used for jewellery and decorative work.
Enamel paints, as used on stained glass, were made from powdered glass mixed with various substances. Today the word ‘enamel’ is loosely used of any glossy protective covering such as durable paint or varnish applied to the surface of objects made from metal, wood, etc. |
|
|
Cite this article
IAN CHILVERS. "enamel." The Oxford Dictionary of Art. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. IAN CHILVERS. "enamel." The Oxford Dictionary of Art. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O2-enamel.html IAN CHILVERS. "enamel." The Oxford Dictionary of Art. 2004. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O2-enamel.html |
|
enamel
enamel a siliceous substance fusible upon metal. It may be so compounded as to be transparent or opaque and with or without color, but it is usually employed to add decorative color. It was used to decorate jewelry in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Specimens of enamel-work found in Belgium and England date from as early as the 3d or 2d cent. BC Perfected in the Byzantine world, enamel, often in the cloisonné technique, was used to adorn screens and tabernacles. In the 12th cent. the Spanish excelled in the champlevé technique. In France at that time brilliant coloristic effects were achieved in the Meuse valley. Concurrently, Limoges became a long-time center of superb enamelwork production. From Limoges in the 16th cent. emerged the most famous artist to work in enamel, Léonard Limousin . In England, from the 17th cent. on, enamel provided the surface for miniature portraits. It was also used for the florid decoration of vanity cases and snuffboxes. In the 19th cent. there was a decline in craftsmanship and a general loss of interest in the enamel medium. The mid-1960s produced an extensive craft revival and reborn interest in enamel techniques.
|
|
|
Cite this article
"enamel." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "enamel." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-enamel.html "enamel." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-enamel.html |
|
enamel
e·nam·el / iˈnaməl/ • n. an opaque or semitransparent glossy substance applied to metallic or other hard surfaces for ornament or as a protective coating. ∎ a work of art executed in such a substance. ∎ the hard glossy substance that covers the crown of a tooth. ∎ (also enamel paint) a paint that dries to give a smooth, hard coat. • v. (-eled , -el·ing ; Brit. -elled, -el·ling) [tr.] [often as adj.] (enameled) coat or decorate (a metallic or hard object) with enamel: an enameled roasting pan. DERIVATIVES: e·nam·el·er n. e·nam·el·ist / -ist/ n. |
|
|
Cite this article
"enamel." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "enamel." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-enamel.html "enamel." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-enamel.html |
|
enamel
enamel. A smooth, glossy material made by fusing glass to a prepared surface, usually of metal, by means of intense heat. The term is also applied to any object made of, or decorated with, this material. The study of enamelling belongs mainly to the history of jewellery and the decorative arts, but in the Middle Ages enamel was sometimes used for major works, for example Nicolas of Verdun's Klosterneuburg Altar. Today the word ‘enamel’ is loosely used of any glossy protective covering such as durable paint or varnish applied to the surface of objects made from metal, wood, etc.
|
|
|
Cite this article
IAN CHILVERS. "enamel." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. IAN CHILVERS. "enamel." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O3-enamel.html IAN CHILVERS. "enamel." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists. 2003. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O3-enamel.html |
|
enamel
enamel The material that forms a covering over the crown of a tooth (i.e. the part that projects above the gum). Enamel is smooth, white, and extremely hard, being rich in minerals containing calcium, especially apatite. It is produced by certain cells (ameloblasts) of the oral epithelium and protects the underlying dentine of the tooth. Enamel may also be found in the placoid scales of certain fish, which demonstrates the common developmental origin of scales and teeth.
|
|
|
Cite this article
"enamel." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "enamel." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-enamel.html "enamel." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-enamel.html |
|
enamel
enamel Decorative or protective glazed coating produced on metal surfaces, or a type of paint. Ceramic enamels are made from powdered glass and calx, with metal oxides to add colour. Enamel paints consist of zinc oxide, lithopone, and high-grade varnish. The finish is hard, glossy, and highly durable.
|
|
|
Cite this article
"enamel." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "enamel." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-enamel.html "enamel." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-enamel.html |
|
enamel
|
|
|
Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "enamel." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "enamel." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-enamel.html T. F. HOAD. "enamel." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-enamel.html |
|
enamel
enamel Crystals of a calcium phosphate-carbonate salt, containing 2–4% of organic matter, which are formed from the epithelium of the mouth and which provide a hard outer coating to denticles and to the exposed part of teeth.
|
|
|
Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "enamel." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "enamel." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-enamel.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "enamel." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-enamel.html |
|
enamel
enamel Crystals of a calcium phosphate-carbonate salt, containing 2–4% of organic matter, which are formed from the epithelium of the mouth and provide a hard outer coating to denticles and the exposed part of teeth.
|
|
|
Cite this article
AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "enamel." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "enamel." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-enamel.html AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "enamel." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-enamel.html |
|
enamel
enamel (i-nam-ĕl) n. the extremely hard outer covering of the crown of a tooth, which consists of crystalline hydroxyapatite.
|
|
|
Cite this article
"enamel." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "enamel." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O62-enamel.html "enamel." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O62-enamel.html |
|
enamel
enamel
•sewellel
•camel, enamel, entrammel, mammal, trammel
•miasmal, phantasmal
•Carmel
•abysmal, baptismal, catechismal, dismal, paroxysmal
•animal • minimal • lachrymal
•maximal
•decimal, infinitesimal
•septimal • optimal • primal • Rommel
•abnormal, conformal, formal, normal, paranormal, subnormal
•chromosomal • Kümmel
•Brummell, pommel, pummel
•epidermal, geothermal, isothermal, pachydermal, taxidermal, thermal
|
|
|
Cite this article
"enamel." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "enamel." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-enamel.html "enamel." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-enamel.html |
|
|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries:
HighBeam™ Research, Inc. © Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
The Encyclopedia.com advertising network includes:
