pavonazzo

noun

pa·​vo·​naz·​zo

ˌpävəˈnät(ˌ)sō

variants or pavonazzetto

ˌpävənətˈset(ˌ)ō

plural -s

1

: a marble with veins usually of red, violet, or purple found in ancient Roman buildings and thought to be Phrygian

2

: a contemporary marble resembling pavonazzo

Word History

Etymology

pavonazzo from Italian, from pavonazzo peacock-colored, purplish, from Latin pavonaceus like a peacock's tail, variegated, from pavon-, pavo peacock + -aceus -aceous; pavonazzetto from Italian, from pavonazzo + -etto -et (from Late Latin -itus & -ita)

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!