Calligraphy

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kəˈlɪɡɹəfi/

Definitions

1. The art of producing decorative handwriting or lettering with a pen or brush
2. The skill of creating beautiful and stylized writing by hand using special tools
3. An artistic practice involving carefully crafted lettering to produce visually appealing text

Etymology: Calligraphy literally means "beautiful writing." It combines the Ancient Greek "kallos," meaning beauty, with "graphein," meaning to draw or write. The Greeks used the term for fine penmanship, a sense that has stayed remarkably close to the original, so the word has changed less than most. English took it from French "calligraphie," which in turn carried the Greek compound into the language. The word's core idea, that writing can be a form of beauty in itself, is built directly into its parts rather than added later by speakers.

Synonyms: handwriting, penmanship