Definition of "encaustic" [en•caus•tic]

• A paint consisting of pigment mixed with beeswax and fixed with heat after its application. (noun)
• The art of painting with this substance. (noun)
• A painting produced with the use of this substance. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The Greek characters traced on the backs of certain encaustic tiles found in the ruins of a building erected by Rameses III. at Tell el-Yahudieh may well be the work of some of these prisoners of war."
• "The art of mixing pigment and wax on a warm surface, known as encaustic painting, will be taught in a one-day workshop at the Getty Villa."
• "Also, the encaustic was a slow process, whereas these bold and sketchy heads evince the utmost rapidity of execution."