MEZZOTINT'O, noun [Latin tinctus, painted.] A particular manner of engraving or representation of figures on copper, in imitation of painting in Indian ink. To perform this the plate is scratched and furrowed in different directions; the design is then drawn on the face, then the dents and furrows are erased from the parts where the lights of the piece are to be; the parts which are to represent shades being left.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI