Graffiti

[gruh-fee-tee] /grəˈfi ti/

noun
1.
plural of .
2.
(used with a plural verb) markings, as initials, slogans, or drawings, written, spray-painted, or sketched on a sidewalk, wall of a building or public restroom, or the like:
These graffiti are evidence of the neighborhood’s decline.
3.
(used with a singular verb) such markings as a whole or as constituting a particular group:
Not much graffiti appears around here these days.
[gruh-fee-toh] /grəˈfi toʊ/
noun, plural graffiti
[gruh-fee-tee] /grəˈfi ti/ (Show IPA)
1.
Archaeology. an ancient drawing or writing scratched on a wall or other surface.
2.
a single example of .
/ɡræˈfiːtiː/
plural noun (sing) -to (-təʊ)
1.
(sometimes with sing verb) drawings, messages, etc, often obscene, scribbled on the walls of public lavatories, advertising posters, etc
2.
(archaeol) inscriptions or drawings scratched or carved onto a surface, esp rock or pottery
n.

1851, for ancient wall inscriptions found in the ruins of Pompeii, from Italian graffiti, plural of graffito “a scribbling,” a diminutive formation from graffio “a scratch or scribble,” from graffiare “to scribble,” ultimately from Greek graphein “to scratch, draw, write” (see -graphy). Sense extended 1877 to recently made crude drawings and scribbling.
n.

singular of graffiti (q.v.).

Handwriting recognition software for the Newton and Zoomer which recognises symbols that aren’t necessarily letters. This gives greater speed and accuracy. It was written by Berkeley Softworks.
(1995-01-24)