Meaning of picture in English

Table of contents
  1. Pronunciation
  2. Verb
    1. Definitions
  3. Noun
    1. Etymology
    2. Definitions

  1. Pronunciation

    /ˈpɪk(t)ʃər/

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    UK accent Play button

  1. Verb

    picture

    Definitions

    1. imagine

    Examples

    • « conceive of »
    • « see in one's mind »
    • « I can't see him on horseback! »
    • « I can see what will happen »
    • « I can see a risk in this strategy »

    Derived terms

  2. 2. show in, or as in, a picture

    Examples

    • « This scene depicts country life »
    • « the face of the child is rendered with much tenderness in this painting »

    Derived terms

  3. Noun

    picture

    Etymology

    late Middle English: from Latin pictura, from pict-‘painted’ (from the verb pingere)

    Definitions

    1. a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface

    Examples

    • « they showed us the pictures of their wedding »
    • « a movie is a series of images projected so rapidly that the eye integrates them »

    Derived terms

  4. 2. graphic art consisting of an artistic composition made by applying paints to a surface

    Examples

    • « a small painting by Picasso »
    • « he bought the painting as an investment »
    • « his pictures hang in the Louvre »

    Derived terms

  5. 3. a clear and telling mental image

    Examples

    • « he described his mental picture of his assailant »
    • « he had no clear picture of himself or his world »
    • « the events left a permanent impression in his mind »

    Derived terms

  6. 4. a situation treated as an observable object

    Examples

    • « the political picture is favorable »
    • « the religious scene in England has changed in the last century »
  7. 5. illustrations used to decorate or explain a text

    Examples

    • « the dictionary had many pictures »

    Derived terms

  8. 6. a form of entertainment that enacts a story by a sequence of images giving the illusion of continuous movement

    Examples

    • « they went to a movie every Saturday night »
    • « the film was shot on location »

    Derived terms

  9. 7. the visible part of a television transmission

    Examples

    • « they could still receive the sound but the picture was gone »
  10. 8. a graphic or vivid verbal description

    Examples

    • « too often the narrative was interrupted by long word pictures »
    • « the author gives a depressing picture of life in Poland »
    • « the pamphlet contained brief characterizations of famous Vermonters »

    Derived terms

  11. 9. a typical example of some state or quality

    Examples

    • « the very picture of a modern general »
    • « she was the picture of despair »

Famous quotes

  • « I met a lot of young girls modelling and they were like, 'Oh, I'm running around town and people are taking my picture', while I was saving receipts and learning how to be self-employed. »
    Christina Hendricks
  • « Although filmmaking is collaborative and involves trust, ultimately it is the director who holds the whole picture together in their head. »
    Julia Leigh
  • « Martha Stewart is extremely talented. Her designs are picture perfect. Our philosophy is life is messy, and rather than being afraid of those messes we design products that work the way we live. »
    Kathy Ireland
  • « It's easier to replace a dead man than a good picture. »
    George Bernard Shaw
  • « I really like science because it seems to be that place where you get the big picture, everything connects. »
    Richard Powers

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