■ noun
1》 a painting, drawing, or photograph.
↘a portrait.
↘an image on a television screen.
2》 an impression formed from an account or description: a full ~ of the disaster had not yet emerged.
↘(often in phr. in (or out of) the ~ ) informal a state of being fully informed about or involved in something.
3》 a cinema film.
↘( the ~s ) the cinema.
4》 archaic a person or thing resembling another closely.
■ verb
1》 represent in a ~.
2》 form a mental image of.
Phrases
be (or look ) a ~
1》 be beautiful.
2》 look amusingly startled.
the big ~ informal the situation as a whole.
a (or the ) ~ of —— the embodiment of a specified state or emotion: she looked a ~ of health.
( as ) pretty as a ~ very pretty.
Origin
ME: from L. pictura , from pict- , pingere 'to paint'.