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picture
[pik-cher]
noun
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.
any visible image, however produced.
pictures reflected in a pool of water.
a mental image.
a clear picture of how he had looked that day.
a particular image or reality as portrayed in an account or description; depiction; version.
a tableau, as in theatrical representation.
a movie.
He signed a three-picture deal to star in the new franchise.
Older Use.pictures, movies collectively, as an art; cinema.
So, you want to be in pictures?
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.
the image or perfect likeness of someone else.
He is the picture of his father.
a visible or concrete embodiment of some quality or condition.
the picture of health.
a situation or set of circumstances.
the economic picture.
the image on a computer monitor, the viewing screen of a television set, or a motion-picture screen.
verb (used with object)
to represent in a picture or pictorially, as by painting or drawing.
Synonyms: , , ,to form a mental picture of; imagine.
He couldn't picture himself doing such a thing.
to depict in words; describe graphically.
He pictured Rome so vividly that you half-believed you were there.
Synonyms: , , ,to present or create as a setting; portray.
His book pictured the world of the future.
picture
/ ˈɪʃə /
noun
a visual representation of something, such as a person or scene, produced on a surface, as in a photograph, painting, etc
( as modifier )
picture gallery
picture postcard
a mental image or impression
a clear picture of events
a verbal description, esp one that is vivid
a situation considered as an observable scene
the political picture
a person or thing that bears a close resemblance to another
he was the picture of his father
a person, scene, etc, considered as typifying a particular state or quality
the picture of despair
a beautiful person or scene
you'll look a picture
a complete image on a television screen, comprising two interlaced fields
a motion picture; film
( as modifier )
picture theatre
a cinema or film show
another name for tableau vivant
informalto understand a situation
informed about a given situation
verb
to visualize or imagine
to describe or depict, esp vividly
(often passive) to put in a picture or make a picture of
they were pictured sitting on the rocks
Other Word Forms
- picturable adjective
- picturableness noun
- picturably adverb
- picturer noun
- mispicture verb (used with object)
- self-pictured adjective
- unpictured adjective
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of picture1
Idioms and Phrases
Example Sentences
If you have information about an individual pictured here, contact L.A.
Satellite imagery shared with BBC Verify has provided a clearer picture of damage inflicted on two of Iran's key nuclear sites as well as other military targets.
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.
Kudos, also, to staff photographer Robert Gauthier … every picture, indeed, tells a story.
Looking at the big picture, how would you summarize your findings?
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Related Words
When To Use
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 “to represent something in a picture or 辱ٴǰŨĔpictorial 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 辱ū, “the act of painting, a painting.” The word is based on pict(us), the past participle of the verb pingere, meaning “to paint.” The verb could also mean “to draw, embroider, represent,” among other senses. The second part of 辱ū is -ū, 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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