mural meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

mural

noun

US /ˈmjʊɹəl/ · UK /ˈmjʊəɹəl/

Etymology Borrowed from French mural, from Latin muralis, from murus (“wall”).

A large painting, usually drawn on a wall.

"There was an underpass beside the station which was a difficult area for anti-social behaviour. Again, we got artists involved, and schools and the community to put murals in it, and now the community feels like it's theirs. For a small urban station, it has a really nice modern feel about it."2026 March 18, Chris Conway talks to Andy Comfort, “The RAIL Interview”, in RAIL, number 1057, page 34:

adj

Etymology Borrowed from French mural, from Latin muralis, from murus (“wall”).

Of or relating to a wall; on, or in, or against a wall.

a mural quadrant
Disburd’nd Heav’n rejoic’d, and soon repaird / Her mural breach, returning whence it rowld.1667, John Milton, “Book VI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 878–879:

1 more example

[Y]et in the Nectarine and like delicate Mural-fruit, the later your Pruning, the better, [...]1669, John Evelyn, “Kalendarium Hortense: OrThe Gard’ners Almanac; […] [February.]”, in Sylva, or A Discourse of Forest-trees and the Propagation of Timber in His Majesties Dominions. […], 3rd edition, London: […] Jo[hn] Martyn, and Ja[mes] Allestry, printers to the Royal Society, →OCLC, page 10:

Resembling a wall; perpendicular or steep.

a mural precipice
Soon the swift horses drew this fair god and goddess nigh the wooded hills, whose distant blue, now changed into a variously-shaded green, stood before them like old Babylonian walls, overgrown with verdure; while here and there, at regular intervals, the scattered peaks seemed mural towers; […]1852, Herman Melville, Pierre; or The Ambiguities:

Derived terms: epimural, intermural, mural circle, mural crown, muralism, muralist, muralistic, murally, paramural, photomural, transmural

verb

Etymology Borrowed from French mural, from Latin muralis, from murus (“wall”).

To create a mural.

Today savvy operators and designers are stenciling, streaking, stippling, spattering, sponging, mirroring, muraling and marbleizing their way to wonderful walls.1987, Cahners Publishing Company, Restaurants & Institutions, Volume 97, Issues 5-7
Its walls were devoutly muraled by artists from the John Reed Club, a Communist-controlled cultural organization.2014, Whittaker Chambers, Witness:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.