decalcomania

de·cal·co·ma·ni·a  (d-klk-mn-, -mny)

n.

1. The process of transferring pictures or designs printed on specially prepared paper to materials such as glass or metal.

2. A decal.

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[French décalcomanie, from dcalquer, to transfer a tracing (de-, off, from from Latin d-; see de- + calquer, to trace; see calque) + manie, craze (from its popularity in the 19th century) (from Late Latin mania, madness; see mania).]

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decalcomania

1. the technique of transferring pictures and other designs onto glass, wood, china etc, using specially prepared paper pieces.
2. the picture so created. Also called decal.

See also: Ornamentation

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	decalcomania - either a design that is fixed to some surface or a paper bearing the design which is to be transferred to the surface decal pattern, design, figure - a decorative or artistic work; "the coach had a design on the doors" transfer paper - a paper that is coated with a preparation for transferring a design to another surface
	2.	decalcomania - the art of transfering designs from specially prepared paper to a wood or glass or metal surface artistic creation, artistic production, art - the creation of beautiful or significant things; "art does not need to be innovative to be good"; "I was never any good at art"; "he said that architecture is the art of wasting space beautifully"