Venice turpentine

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Noun edit

Venice turpentine (uncountable)

  1. (now historical) A thick substance made from tree resin of the European larch (Larix decidua), formerly used as a component in artists' oil painting to create glossy, translucent glazes.
    Synonyms: larch turpentine, Venetian turpentine
    • 1789, Erasmus Darwin, The Loves of the Plants:
      [T]hey produce resins, and many of them are supposed to supply the most durable timber: what is called Venice-turpentine is obtained from the larch by wounding the bark about two feet from the ground, and catching it as it exsudes […].

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