Adjacent Words

Sketch definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SKETCH, n. [L. scateo.] An outline or general delineation of any thing; a first rough or incomplete draught of a plan or any design; as the sketch of a building; the sketch of an essay.
SKETCH, v.t.
1. To draw the outline or general figure of a thing; to make a rough draught.
2. To plan by giving the principal points or ideas.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: preliminary drawing for later elaboration; "he made several studies before starting to paint" [syn: sketch, study]
2: a brief literary description [syn: sketch, vignette]
3: short descriptive summary (of events) [syn: sketch, survey, resume]
4: a humorous or satirical drawing published in a newspaper or magazine [syn: cartoon, sketch] v
1: make a sketch of; "sketch the building" [syn: sketch, chalk out]
2: describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of; "sketch the outline of the book"; "outline his ideas" [syn: sketch, outline, adumbrate]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Dutch schets, from Italian schizzo, literally, splash, from schizzare to splash, of imitative origin Date: 1668 1. a. a rough drawing representing the chief features of an object or scene and often made as a preliminary study b. a tentative draft (as for a literary work) 2. a brief description (as of a person) or outline 3. a. a short literary composition somewhat resembling the short story and the essay but intentionally slight in treatment, discursive in style, and familiar in tone b. a short instrumental composition usually for piano c. a slight theatrical piece having a single scene; especially a comic variety act II. verb Date: 1694 transitive verb to make a sketch, rough draft, or outline of intransitive verb to draw or paint a sketch • sketcher noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a rough, slight, merely outlined, or unfinished drawing or painting, often made to assist in making a more finished picture. 2 a brief account without many details conveying a general idea of something, a rough draft or general outline. 3 a very short play, usu. humorous and limited to one scene. 4 a short descriptive piece of writing. 5 a musical composition of a single movement. 6 colloq. a comical person or thing. --v. 1 tr. make or give a sketch of. 2 intr. draw sketches esp. of landscape (went out sketching). 3 tr. (often foll. by in, out) indicate briefly or in outline. Phrases and idioms: sketch-book (or -block) a pad of drawing-paper for doing sketches on. sketch-map a roughly-drawn map with few details. Derivatives: sketcher n. Etymology: Du. schets or G Skizze f. It. schizzo f. schizzare make a sketch ult. f. Gk skhedios extempore

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sketch Sketch, n. [D. schets, fr. It. schizzo a sketch, a splash (whence also F. esquisse; cf. Esquisse.); cf. It. schizzare to splash, to sketch.] An outline or general delineation of anything; a first rough or incomplete draught or plan of any design; especially, in the fine arts, such a representation of an object or scene as serves the artist's purpose by recording its chief features; also, a preliminary study for an original work. Syn: Outline; delineation; draught; plan; design. Usage: Sketch, Outline, Delineation. An outline gives only the bounding lines of some scene or picture. A sketch fills up the outline in part, giving broad touches, by which an imperfect idea may be conveyed. A delineation goes further, carrying out the more striking features of the picture, and going so much into detail as to furnish a clear conception of the whole. Figuratively, we may speak of the outlines of a plan, of a work, of a project, etc., which serve as a basis on which the subordinate parts are formed, or of sketches of countries, characters, manners, etc., which give us a general idea of the things described. --Crabb.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sketch Sketch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sketched; p. pr. & vb. n. Sketching.] [Cf D. schetsen, It. schizzare. See Sketch, n.] 1. To draw the outline or chief features of; to make a rought of. 2. To plan or describe by giving the principal points or ideas of. Syn: To delineate; design; draught; depict.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sketch Sketch, v. i. To make sketches, as of landscapes.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(sketches, sketching, sketched) 1. A sketch is a drawing that is done quickly without a lot of details. Artists often use sketches as a preparation for a more detailed painting or drawing. ...a sketch of a soldier by Orpen. N-COUNT 2. If you sketch something, you make a quick, rough drawing of it. Clare and David Astor are sketching a view of far Spanish hills... I always sketch with pen and paper. VERB: V n, V 3. A sketch of a situation, person, or incident is a brief description of it without many details. ...thumbnail sketches of heads of state and political figures... N-COUNT: usu N of n 4. If you sketch a situation or incident, you give a short description of it, including only the most important facts. Cross sketched the story briefly, telling the facts just as they had happened. = outline VERB: V n • Sketch out means the same as sketch. Luxembourg sketched out an acceptable compromise between Britain, France and Germany. PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron) 5. A sketch is a short humorous piece of acting, usually forming part of a comedy show. ...a five-minute sketch about a folk singer. N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. Outline, drawing, delineation, plan, skeleton, rough draught, first draught, design in outline. II. v. a. 1. Draw (in outline), chalk out, make a rough draught of, design, draught. 2. Depict, delineate, represent, portray, paint.

Moby Thesaurus

Grand Guignol, Passion play, Tom show, abbreviation, abbreviature, abrege, abridge, abridgment, abstract, act, act as foil, adumbrate, afterpiece, antimasque, appear, article, audience success, ballet, barnstorm, bit, black and white, block in, block out, blueprint, bomb, brief, bring to life, broadcast drama, brouillon, burlesque show, cameo, capsule, capsulize, cartoon, catalog, cataloging, causerie, chalk, chalk out, character, character sketch, characterization, characterize, charade, charcoal, charcoal drawing, chart, chaser, chiaroscuro, cliff hanger, closet drama, color, come out, comedy drama, compend, condensation, condense, condensed version, conspectus, copy, crayon, critical success, crosshatch, curtain, curtain call, curtain raiser, dash off, daub, daytime serial, delineate, delineation, depict, depiction, descant, describe, description, design, detail, details, develop, diagram, dialogue, digest, discourse, discussion, disquisition, dissertation, divertimento, divertissement, documentary drama, doodle, draft, drama, dramalogue, dramatic play, dramatic series, draw, drawing, duodrama, duologue, ebauche, elevation, emote, emotionalize, epic theater, epilogue, epitome, esquisse, essay, etude, evocation, evoke, examination, excursus, exode, exodus, experimental theater, exposition, expository scene, express, extravaganza, failure, feature, figure, finale, first approach, flop, gasser, get top billing, give words to, giveaway, graph, graphic account, ground plan, happening, hatch, head, hit, hit show, hoke act, homily, house plan, ichnography, image, imagery, impression, improvisational drama, interlude, intermezzo, intermission, introduction, introductory study, itemization, lay, lay off, lay out, legitimate drama, limn, limning, line, line drawing, lucubration, map, map out, mark off, mark out, masque, melodrama, memoir, mime, minstrel show, miracle, miracle play, monodrama, monograph, monologue, morality, morality play, morceau, music drama, musical revue, mystery, mystery play, note, number, nutshell, opera, outline, overview, pageant, paint, paint a picture, pandect, panel show, pantomime, paper, paragraph, particularization, pastel, pastoral, pastoral drama, patter, pattern, pen-and-ink, pencil, pencil drawing, perform, photograph, picture, picturize, piece, play, play the lead, playact, playlet, plot, plot out, portrait, portraiture, portray, portrayal, precis, preliminary study, problem play, profile, projection, prolegomenon, prologue, psychodrama, quiz show, radio drama, register, render, rendering, rendition, represent, representation, research paper, review, revue, rough, rough copy, rough draft, rough in, rough out, rough outline, routine, rubric, scene, scratch, screed, scumble, sensational play, serial, set forth, set out, shade, shorten, shortened version, show, shtick, silhouette, silver-print drawing, sinopia, sitcom, situation comedy, skeleton, sketch out, skit, soap, soap opera, sociodrama, song and dance, special article, specification, spectacle, stage play, stage show, stand-up comedy act, star, steal the show, stencil, stooge, straight drama, striptease, study, success, summarize, survey, suspense drama, syllabus, synopsis, synopsize, table, tableau, tableau vivant, talk show, teleplay, television drama, television play, term paper, theater of cruelty, theme, thesis, thumbnail sketch, tint, topical outline, total theater, trace, tracing, tract, tractate, tread the boards, treatise, treatment, troupe, turn, upstage, variety show, vaudeville, vaudeville show, vehicle, vignette, vivid description, word painting, word-of-mouth success, work, working drawing, write