pietra dura

English

Etymology

Italian, literally "hard stone".

Noun

pietra dura (uncountable)

1. (art) A decorative art, the inlay technique of using cut and fitted, highly polished colored stones to create images.

   A Florentine mosaic is a familiar instance of work in pietra dura, though the ground may be soft marble.

References

• “pietra dura”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.