graffiti
nounverbattested in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ɡɹəˈfiː.ti//
- United States//ɡɹəˈfi.ti//
Drawings or words drawn on a surface in a public place, usually made without authorization.
noun
- 1
Drawings or words drawn on a surface in a public place, usually made without authorization.
The underpass is a popular place for graffiti artists.
The city council spends thousands of pounds removing graffiti from public buildings.
The removal of unsightly graffiti on the sides of railway bridges spanning major roads in the North West is to be handed over to National Highways, to speed up the job.
- 2
Informal inscriptions, figure drawings, etc., as opposed to official inscriptions.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gerbʰ- Proto-Hellenic *grə́pʰō Ancient Greek γρᾰ́φω (grắphō)bor. Italian graffire Italian graffito Italian graffitibor. English graffiti Borrowed from Italian graffiti, from graffito, from graffire, borrowed from Ancient Greek γρᾰ́φω (grắphō, “to write”), from Proto-Hellenic *grə́pʰō, from Proto-Indo-European *gerbʰ-.
verb
- 1
To mark a surface with such images.
Forms
- past tense
- graffitied
- past participle
- graffitied
- present participle
- graffitiing
- third person singular
- graffitis
graffiti · Drawings or words drawn on a surface in a public place, usually made without authorization.
graft · A small shoot or scion of a tree inserted in another tree,…Graft · A surname.graham · Flour made by grinding wheat berries including the bran.