Lithography \Li*thog"ra*phy\, n. [Cf. F. lithographie.]
   1. The art or process of putting designs or writing, with a
      greasy material, on stone, and of producing printed
      impressions therefrom. The process depends, in the main,
      upon the antipathy between grease and water, which
      prevents a printing ink containing oil from adhering to
      wetted parts of the stone not covered by the design. See
      Lithographic limestone, under Lithographic.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. a printing process for reproducing images, using any flat
      surface, such as a metal plate, in a manner similar to
      lithography[1].
      [PJC]

   3. The process of producing patterns on semiconductor
      crystals by exposing photosensitive coatings on a matrix,
      such as silicon, to light patterns in the form desired for
      the circuit, and subsequently treating (e.g., chemically)
      the patterns thus formed in such a way as to create
      integrated semiconductor circuits with the desired
      properties. This is the principle method (1990's) to
      create the high-density integrated circuits used in the
      digital computers on which you are reading this.
      [PJC] Lithoid

	

	lithography
     n 1: a method of planographic printing from a metal or stone
          surface
     2: the act of making a lithographic print

	

	65 Moby Thesaurus words for "lithography":
   albertype, artist lithography, book printing, chromotypography,
   chromotypy, chromoxylography, collotype, color printing,
   coloration, coloring, dyeing, electronography,
   electrostatic printing, emblazonry, graphic arts, gravure,
   halftone engraving, history of printing, illumination,
   job printing, letterpress, letterpress photoengraving,
   line engraving, lithogravure, lithophotogravure, mimeograph,
   offset, offset lithography, onset, palaeotypography, photo-offset,
   photochemical process, photoengraving, photogelatin process,
   photographic reproduction, photography, photolithography,
   phototypography, phototypy, photozincography, pigmentation,
   planographic printing, planography, printing, printmaking,
   publication, publishing, relief printing, rotary photogravure,
   rotogravure, sheetwork, staining, stencil, three-color printing,
   tinction, tinging, tinting, two-color printing, typography,
   typolithography, wood-block printing, xerography, xeroprinting,
   xylotypography, zincography