51³Ō¹Ļ

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View synonyms for

picture

[pik-cher]

noun

  1. a visual representation of a person, object, or scene, as a painting, drawing, photograph, etc..

    I carry a picture of my grandchild in my wallet.

  2. any visible image, however produced.

    pictures reflected in a pool of water.

  3. a mental image.

    a clear picture of how he had looked that day.

  4. a particular image or reality as portrayed in an account or description; depiction; version.

  5. a tableau, as in theatrical representation.

    1. a movie.

      He signed a three-picture deal to star in the new franchise.

    2. Older Use.Ģżpictures, movies collectively, as an art; cinema.

      So, you want to be in pictures?

  6. a person, thing, group, or scene regarded as resembling a work of pictorial art in beauty, fineness of appearance, etc..

    She was a picture in her new blue dress.

  7. the image or perfect likeness of someone else.

    He is the picture of his father.

  8. a visible or concrete embodiment of some quality or condition.

    the picture of health.

  9. a situation or set of circumstances.

    the economic picture.

  10. the image on a computer monitor, the viewing screen of a television set, or a motion-picture screen.



verb (used with object)

pictured, picturing 
  1. to represent in a picture or pictorially, as by painting or drawing.

    Synonyms: , , ,
  2. to form a mental picture of; imagine.

    He couldn't picture himself doing such a thing.

  3. to depict in words; describe graphically.

    He pictured Rome so vividly that you half-believed you were there.

    Synonyms: , , ,
  4. to present or create as a setting; portray.

    His book pictured the world of the future.

picture

/ ˈ±čÉŖ°ģ³ŁŹƒÉ™ /

noun

    1. a visual representation of something, such as a person or scene, produced on a surface, as in a photograph, painting, etc

    2. ( as modifier )

      picture gallery

      picture postcard

  1. a mental image or impression

    a clear picture of events

  2. a verbal description, esp one that is vivid

  3. a situation considered as an observable scene

    the political picture

  4. a person or thing that bears a close resemblance to another

    he was the picture of his father

  5. a person, scene, etc, considered as typifying a particular state or quality

    the picture of despair

  6. a beautiful person or scene

    you'll look a picture

  7. a complete image on a television screen, comprising two interlaced fields

    1. a motion picture; film

    2. ( as modifier )

      picture theatre

  8. a cinema or film show

  9. another name for tableau vivant

  10. informalĢżto understand a situation

  11. informed about a given situation

ā€œCollins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridgedā€ 2012 Digital Edition Ā© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 Ā© HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to visualize or imagine

  2. to describe or depict, esp vividly

  3. (often passive) to put in a picture or make a picture of

    they were pictured sitting on the rocks

ā€œCollins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridgedā€ 2012 Digital Edition Ā© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 Ā© HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other 51³Ō¹Ļ Forms

  • picturable adjective
  • picturableness noun
  • picturably adverb
  • picturer noun
  • mispicture verb (used with object)
  • self-pictured adjective
  • unpictured adjective
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51³Ō¹Ļ History and Origins

Origin of picture1

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin ±č¾±³¦³ŁÅ«°ł²¹ ā€œthe act of painting, a painting,ā€ equivalent to pict(us) (past participle of pingere ā€œto paintā€ ) + -Å«°ł²¹ noun suffix; paint, -ure
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51³Ō¹Ļ History and Origins

Origin of picture1

C15: from Latin ±č¾±³¦³ŁÅ«°ł²¹ painting, from pingere to paint
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Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with picture, also see get the message (picture); in the picture; pretty as a picture; take a picture; the picture.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Footage released by the Palazzo Maffei, in Verona, shows a man and woman taking pictures of each other while pretending to sit on the so-called "Van Gogh" chair.

From

Kudos, also, to staff photographer Robert Gauthier … every picture, indeed, tells a story.

From

Looking at the big picture, how would you summarize your findings?

From

Her picture had somehow been circulated to local stores alerting them that they should not allow her entry.

From

Other employees saw some men looking into the complex from different sides and taking pictures.

From

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Related 51³Ō¹Ļs

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When To Use

Where doesĢżpictureĢżcome from?

A picture, as they say, is worth a thousand words. But what about the word picture? We’re not going to write a thousand words on picture—although we could. Believe us when we say we could. So, here’s a briefer word picture (see what we did there?) on the origin of this versatile word.In its most general sense, a picture is a visual representation of something, especially in the form of a painting, drawing, photograph, or the like. A picture can also refer to a mental image, among other senses. One meaning of picture, as a verb, is ā€œto represent something in a picture or ±č¾±³¦³Ł“ǰł¾±²¹±ō±ō²āā€ÅضĔpictorial being a related adjective form variously used to refer to pictures.The word picture entered English around 1375–1425, borrowed directly from the Latin word ±č¾±³¦³ŁÅ«°ł²¹, ā€œthe act of painting, a painting.ā€ The word is based on pict(us), the past participle of the verb pingere, meaning ā€œto paint.ā€ The verb could also mean ā€œto draw, embroider, represent,ā€ among other senses. The second part of ±č¾±³¦³ŁÅ«°ł²¹ is -Å«°ł²¹, a noun suffix represented as -ure in English. See our entry at -ure to learn more about this suffix.Dig deeperThe meaning of the word picture has been very stable in English. Just as it originally did in the late 1300s, a picture can still refer to a drawing or painting— whether it’s your kid’s crayon-scrawled family portrait on your fridge or Leonardo DaVinci’s Mona Lisa in the Louvre. Both are masterpieces, as far as we’re concerned. Please note, though, that when referring to formal or professional works, we often use the name of the medium (painting, photograph, film), with picture referring to more informal or amateur creations.But picture has also been remarkably adaptable, readily lending itself to images created by new technologies: photography, cinema, TV, and all the pictures we take on our smartphones and post on social media.The word movie—it’s easy to forget in an age of Netflix streaming and viral TikTok videos—is shortened from the phrase moving picture. And what are digital images composed of? Tiny pixels. That word is based on pix, a variant of pics, a common shortening of picture. A picture, we might say today, is worth (many) thousands of pixels.

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