ultramarine

views updated May 14 2018

ul·tra·ma·rine / ˌəltrəməˈrēn/ • n. a brilliant deep blue pigment originally obtained from lapis lazuli. ∎  an imitation of such a pigment, made from powdered fired clay, sodium carbonate, sulfur, and resin. ∎  a brilliant deep blue color.

ultramarine

views updated Jun 08 2018

ultramarine
A. applied to a blue pigment obtained orig. from lapis lazuli XVI;

B. situated beyond the sea XVII. In A. — medL. ultramarīnus (see ULTRA-, MARINE); in B. — It. †oltramarino (mod. oltre-) in azzurro oltramorino ‘azure from overseas’, the substance being of foreign origin; later assim. to medL.

ultramarine

views updated May 17 2018

ultramarine a brilliant deep blue pigment originally obtained from lapis lazuli. The word comes (in the late 16th century) from medieval Latin ultramarinus ‘beyond the sea’; the name of the pigment is from obsolete Italian (azzurro) oltramarino, literally ‘(azure) from overseas’.