graffito

Borrowed from Italian graffito.

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɡɹəˈfitoʊ/, [ɡɹəˈfiɾoʊ̯]

graffito (plural graffiti)

1. (archaeology and related fields) An informal inscription, as by a worker or vandal.
2. (rare) A single instance of graffiti in the art/vandalism sense.
   • 1982 April 24, Bob Nelson, “NY Cops Harass Activist Writing Graffiti”, in Gay Community News, page 3:

     One officer got out to inspect the graffito.

Outside of archaeology, graffiti or “a piece of graffiti” is used for the singular. As graffiti is borrowed from a plural form, prescriptivists consider singular use of graffiti incorrect: compare data/datum. The use of "graffiti" in contemporary art is a synonym to "Tags-Throw-ups-Pieces", TTP in short.[1]

• graffitus

• IPA^(key): /ɡrafˈfi.to/
• Rhymes: -ito
• Hyphenation: graf‧fì‧to

graffito m (plural graffiti)

1. graffiti

graffito (feminine graffita, masculine plural graffiti, feminine plural graffite)

1. past participle of graffire

• graffiata
• graffio

• goffrati, griffato