alfresco means outdoor, open to the atmosphere. It carries an Arena rating of 1603, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, alfresco ranks #262 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words, #1,224 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #1,866 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #3,409 of 17,163 for Funniest Words.
alfresco is pronounced /ælˈfɹɛs.koʊ/.
Why “alfresco” is a great word
Taking place or located in the open air. From the Italian phrase *al fresco*, meaning 'in the cool (air),' borrowed in the early eighteenth century by English travelers. Unlike “outdoor,” a merely functional descriptor, or “picnic,” which demands a basket and a blanket, *alfresco* evokes the cultivated pleasure of open-air leisure. It is the scrape of a wrought-iron chair on a sun-warmed terrace, the painter's easel against a crumbling villa wall, the candlelight that competes with starlight—a civilised conviction that the cool air itself improves whatever it touches.
Etymology
From Italian al fresco. Compare Spanish al fresco.
adj
- Outdoor, open to the atmosphere.e.g.“The walking district features many alfresco cafés.”
adv
- Outdoors; in fresh air.e.g.“As it was a sunny afternoon, we decided to dine alfresco on the patio.”
- Onto fresh plaster that is still moist.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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