poker-work

poker-work

A craftsman uses poker-work to decorate a wooden box.

Definition

Noun: - Decorative art technique: "poker-work" refers to the art or process of decorating wood or leather by burning designs into the surface with a heated metal tool, such as a poker.

Usage Examples
  • (She used the technique of burning designs into wood.)
  • (The table had decorative burned designs.)
Advanced Usage
  • "poker-work design": a specific pattern or image created using this technique.
    • The poker-work design on the leather belt showed a detailed hunting scene. (The burned pattern depicted a scene.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Poker (n): a metal rod with a handle, used to stir a fire; also, the tool used in poker-work.
    • He used a red-hot poker to create the poker-work on the wood. (The tool for burning designs.)
Synonyms
  • Pyrography: the formal term for the art of decorating wood or other materials with burn marks.
  • Wood burning: a common, informal name for the same technique.
Related Idioms