craquelure.

A network of fine cracks on the surface of paint, ceramics, or glass.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• craquelure in paint
• visible craquelure
• craquelure on a glaze

On the page

Craquelure crossed the painted face, splitting its expression into tiny uneven islands.

Usage notes

Primary category: horror / gothic literary. Lexical Type: Word. Forms: Usually uncountable; no ordinary plural in this sense. Commonness: uncommon (editorial estimate; not a corpus frequency statistic). Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1; numbered fields keep each relevant meaning separate. Research distinction: Uncountable art term for very small cracks in surface paint, ceramics or glass. Usually aging-related but can be deliberately produced. Individual writer usefulness checked for a distinct physical, ritual, facial or acoustic function. Definitions/examples are original; genre suitability is not an inherent emotional rating. Writing functions: precise physical or ritual description, gothic scene construction.