I. ˈpānt verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English peynten, painten, from Old French peindre (past participle peint ), from Latin pingere to paint, embroider, tattoo; akin to Old English fāh variegated, Old High German fēh, Old Norse fā to paint, Greek poikilos variegated, pikros pointed, sharp, bitter, Sanskrit piṁśati he cuts out, adorns
transitive verb
1.
a.
(1) : to color all or part of (a surface) by or as if by applying a pigment
painted the whole house, inside and out
: apply color to : add color to : coat or touch up with coloring matter
Indians that had painted their faces with streaks of red and blue
especially : to color (a surface) by applying and spreading (as with a brush, spray gun, roller) a liquid or paste composed of a mixture of a pigment and a vehicle (as oil or water) that dries opaque
painted the walls white
(2) : to color with or as if with a cosmetic (as lipstick, rouge, fingernail polish) : apply a cosmetic or something like a cosmetic to
wore blue and, as usual, painted her mouth — Margaret C. Harriman
b.
(1) : to brush on or swab on or otherwise apply (a liquid) with a movement resembling or suggestive of that used in painting something
painted egg white over the surface of the cake
(2) : to cover or treat or touch up (a localized area) with a liquid by brushing or swabbing or a similar movement
painted the wound with iodine
savages painting their arms and legs with henna stain
2.
a.
(1) : to make or produce (as a picture, sketch, design) in lines and colors on a surface (as a canvas or wall) by brushing on or similarly applying pigments
painted a picture of his mother
painted abstract designs on the walls
painted big black letters on the sign
(2) : to represent to the eye by the use of lines and colors applied in this way : depict or portray by such lines and colors
was especially skillful at painting animals and birds
painted a vase of flowers against a dark background
(3) : to depict or portray or delineate as having specified or implied characteristics
is neither as black nor as white as he is painted — V.S.Pritchett
paints them whiter than the evidence justifies — Oliver La Farge
wished to paint their candidate to the South as a free trader — Mary K. Hammond
are not as unapproachable and unfriendly as a lot of propaganda has painted them to be — Werner Bamberger
b. : to decorate, adorn, or variegate by applying lines and colors in this way
an ancient vase that had been painted with pastoral scenes
c. : to produce (as a picture, design, color) as if by painting
the campfire painted queer pictures on the tree trunks and tinted the underbranches with a rosy glow — Myrtle R. White
3. : to touch up, modify, or cover over by or as if by painting so as to hide defects or so as to deceptively heighten real or apparent attractiveness
the town had been all painted up in preparation for the event
difficult to be patient with those who paint its defects — M.R.Cohen
4. : to evoke a vivid mental picture or concept of especially by a colorful or strikingly realistic description : delineate strikingly or colorfully
painted the picture of what would happen after war — F.L.Paxson
scoured Europe in search of cheap labor, painting glowing pictures of the promised land across the sea — American Guide Series: Massachusetts
painted this humanitarian effort so brilliantly — Farley Mowat
paints in vivid words the fresh and free and high spirit of those who conceived the great enterprise — Edith Hamilton
5.
a. : to force (a hearts player) to take a heart by playing it on a trick that must be taken
b. : to deal a face card to (a poker player who is drawing for a low hand)
intransitive verb
1. : to paint things ; especially : to practice the art of painting pictures or other representations or designs
likes to paint for relaxation
2. : to use cosmetics for adding color
is aging rapidly and now paints heavily
3. obsolete : to become changed in facial color
canst thou paint pale so quickly — Thomas Middleton
4. archaic : to drink intoxicating liquor
•
- paint the lily
- paint the town red
II. noun
( -s )
1.
a. : the action of painting
the car needs a new paint job
b. : something produced by painting
portraits which are great pieces of paint — David Low
2. : makeup ; especially : a cosmetic (as lipstick or rouge) designed to add color
3.
a.
(1) : a mixture of a pigment and a suitable vehicle (as oil, water) that together form a liquid or paste that can be applied and spread (as with a brush, spray gun, roller) to a surface so as to form a thin closely adherent coating that dries opaque and imparts color to the surface and that is often designed to protect the surface (as against weathering)
a can of paint
a tube of paint
(2) : the dry pigment used in making this mixture ; especially : a usually small cake of this dry pigment
a box of paints
b. : an applied coating of paint especially when dry
touched the paint while it was still wet
the paint had already begun to chip off
4. : a usually antiseptic application (as of iodine) designed to be applied to a localized area (as of the skin) by painting
5.
[short for paint horse ]
chiefly West : a horse or pony with irregular broad markings of white interspersed with some other solid color
III. noun
Usage: often attributive
: computer-generated color design
a paint program