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When Italians began using patina in the 17th century to refer to the green film that forms on the surface of copper, they were drawing on Latin, in which patina means "a shallow dish." (Presumably, the Italian meaning developed from the observation of such film forming on copper dishes.) By the mid-18th century, English speakers were also calling the green film patina, and by the 20th century, they'd expanded the word's application to surface appearances of things that have grown more beautiful with age or use—think of an old wooden desk or a tarnished silver goblet. Use of the word to refer to thin layers both literal and figurative ("a patina of grime," "a patina of respectability") followed soon after.
Examples of patina in a Sentence
Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025
This material resists corrosion without verdigris oxidation, ensuring slow aging and a lasting patina.
—Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2025
There are also single spindle feet, a patina finish on the wood, and ship-lap style boards for a hint of a farmhouse aesthetic.
—Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 22 Mar. 2025
As Lively told LaLa Anthony during the Vogue livestream on the red carpet, the colors of the gown were meant to represent the patina aging that copper undergoes over time, nodding to the Statue of Liberty.
—Catherine Santino, People.com, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for patina
Cite this Entry
“Patina.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patina. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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