A grotesque or distorted figure, often used in art or decoration.
From Middle French 'grotesque', derived from Italian 'grottesco' meaning 'of a cave', referring to the strange decorative paintings found in Roman ruins. The shortened form 'gro' emerged as slang in the 20th century.
The word 'gro' connects us to ancient Roman underground chambers where Renaissance artists discovered bizarre, fantastical murals that defied classical artistic conventions. These 'grotto' paintings were so alien to Renaissance sensibilities that they coined a new word for anything similarly strange or unnatural.
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