rhyparography

noun

rhypa·​rog·​ra·​phy

plural -es

1

: the painting or literary depiction of mean, unworthy, or sordid subjects

2

: the painting of genre or still-life pictures

Word History

Etymology

Greek rhyparographos painting sordid subjects (from rhyparos filthy, dirty + -graphos writing, painting—from graphein to write—) + English -y

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!