halftone

noun

half·​tone ˈhaf-ˌtōn How to pronounce halftone (audio)
ˈhäf-
1
2
a
: any of the shades of gray between the darkest and the lightest parts of a photographic image
b(1)
: a photoengraving made from an image photographed through a screen and then etched so that the details of the image are reproduced in dots
(2)
: an image (such as one printed on an offset press or laser printer) that renders smooth variations of color in an original by means of dots assigned to areas of the image electronically
halftone adjective

Examples of halftone in a Sentence

using software to lighten the picture's halftones
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The perfection of halftone printing coincided with the rise of the Kodak and allowed for the mass circulation of images. Sohini Desai, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 July 2024 The photos are four-color halftones enlarged to varying degrees, so the dots that make up the images are more prominent in some than others. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2023 The next book of the five hundred might be a halftone different. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 12 Sep. 2022 Recently, the hypnotic halftone designs have taken on new meaning in a digital age. Leah Dolan, CNN, 26 May 2022 There were huge features screened across it in dull black halftone, asymmetrical eyes at breast height, a grim mouth at crotch-level. Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 1 Sep. 2017 Technologies used to put out the paper also are highlighted, such as printing presses, halftone plates and stereotypes. Susan Dunne, courant.com, 31 July 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1636, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of halftone was in 1636

Dictionary Entries Near halftone

Cite this Entry

“Halftone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/halftone. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

halftone

noun
half·​tone ˈhaf-ˌtōn How to pronounce halftone (audio)
ˈhäf-
: a medium tint or tone in a painting, engraving, or photograph
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