incrostazione

encrustation

noun een-kroh-stah-TSYOH-neh Rare

Also means

scale

Usage Note

Incrostazione refers to a hard deposit of mineral scale (limescale on pipes, tartar on teeth) or the decorative inlay technique in art (incrostazioni di madreperla = mother-of-pearl inlays). The plural le incrostazioni is very common when describing limescale build-up. Do not confuse with intonaco (plaster).

Examples

"Le incrostazioni nel bollitore vanno rimosse."

Natural Translation

The scale deposits in the kettle need to be removed.

Free starter pack

Building your Italian vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common Italian words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore Italian by topic

ItalianNow

Italian Present Tense: -are, -ere, -ire Verbs

Conjugate Italian present-tense verbs fast: one color-coded chart for -are, -ere, and -ire endings, plus the sneaky -isc- group most guides bury.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

ItalianNow

Days & Months in Italian: A Beginner's Guide

Days of the week in Italian are lowercase, all masculine except la domenica, and il lunedì means every Monday. Learn the days, months, dates, and seasons.

June 5, 2026 4 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Articles: Il, Lo, La, I, Gli, Le Explained

Italian has seven words for 'the' — il, lo, la, i, gli, le — but it's two questions, not seven cases. Master gender, sound, and the lo/gli rule fast.

June 5, 2026 7 min read

ItalianNow

Essential Italian Travel Phrases (With Vorrei)

Vorrei means I would like — the politest, most useful Italian travel phrase. Learn five reusable frames to order, ask prices, and find your way in Italy.

June 5, 2026 5 min read