sketch1 nounsketch2 verb
sketchsketch1 /sketʃ/ ●●○ noun [countable] 
WORD ORIGINsketch1
Origin:
1600-1700 Dutch schets, from Italian schizzo, from schizzare ‘to splash’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- a brief sketch of the life and times of Herman Melville
- a comedy sketch show
- Gabriella did a quick sketch of her baby daughter.
- I've done a rough sketch of how to get to the church.
- I thought your sketches of the garden were very attractive.
- Phil drew a sketch to show us what the new school would look like.
- She opened her folder and took out a sketch of her mother.
- The architect did a sketch of how the building will look when it's finished.
- Berkeley police released a composite sketch of the man witnesses say they saw leaving the neighborhood.
- Brief sketches of the two types of procedure may first be helpful.
- By 2008 the artists' sketches of a red-roofed, neo-Levantine financial district will have become reality.
- He was wasting her money as he handled these sketches.
- In 1853 Delacroix recorded a discussion in which it was proposed that Durieu might publish his sketches by means of photography.
- Official sketches show a small warren of rooms, lit by artificial lights and stuffed with compact biological systems.
- Soon the blurred sketch of the view will disappear and in its place will come an entanglement of lights.
THESAURUS
a picture drawn with a pencil, pen, crayon etc: · I did a drawing of the front of the house.
a drawing that is done quickly and has few details: · When she was traveling, she drew quick sketches of the places she’d seen.
a shape or pattern that you draw when you are bored or thinking about other things: · His schoolbooks were always covered in doodles.
drawings or writing that people secretly put on walls or other public places: · Vandals had covered the station in graffiti.
a series of pictures drawn inside boxes that tell a story, especially in a newspaper or magazine: · Asterix started off in a comic strip.
a funny drawing in a newspaper or magazine: · There is a 'New Yorker' cartoon which depicts various inventions for keeping warm.
shapes, lines etc painted or drawn on a surface, especially as a piece of art, and often showing what someone or something looks like: · a picture of a horse· He painted the picture in 1890, just before he died.
a picture drawn with a pencil, pen etc: · We had to do a drawing of a sunflower.
a picture that is drawn quickly: · I made a quick sketch of the kind of room we wanted.
a picture made using paint: · The painting now hangs in the Museum of Modern Art.· Picasso did several paintings of her.
a picture of a person: · The portrait was painted by Rembrandt.
a picture of a place, especially in the countryside or the mountains: · Constable painted mainly landscapes.
a funny drawing in a newspaper or magazine that tells a story or a joke: · A cartoon in the New York Times showed the president talking to Osama Bin Laden.
a series of pictures drawn inside boxes that tell a story: · Charles Schultz was famous for his cartoon strip about Snoopy and Charlie Brown.
a funny drawing of someone that makes a part of someone’s face or body look bigger, worse etc than it really is, especially in a funny way: · He is famous for his caricatures of politicians.
a picture in a book: · The book has over 100 pages of illustrations, most of them in colour.
a large picture printed on paper that you stick to a wall as decoration: · old movie posters· There were lots of posters of pop bands on her bedroom wall.
a picture that is usually produced on a printing press, and is one of a series of copies of the same picture: · a limited edition of lithographic prints by John Lennon
a picture – used especially when talking about what the picture is like, or the effect it has on you: · He produced some memorable images.· a beautiful image· Some of the images are deeply disturbing.
pictures or photographs, especially ones that have been produced to be used in a book or magazine: · We are still waiting for the artwork to come back from the printers.
Longman Language Activatorsomething that you draw a picture that you draw with a pen or pencil: · Leonardo da Vinci's drawings show an immensely inventive and inquiring mind.do a drawing of something: · I did a drawing of the church.
a quick, simple drawing that does not show many details: sketch of: · She opened her folder and took out a sketch of her mother.do/draw a sketch: · Phil drew a sketch to show us what the new school would look like.rough sketch (=a sketch that is not very exact or detailed): · I've done a rough sketch of how to get to the church.
a drawing of shapes, lines, or patterns that you do when you are thinking about something else or when you are bored: · By the end of the lecture the back of my book was covered in little doodles.
a drawing of lines, shapes etc that look untidy and have no particular pattern, shape, or picture - use this especially about what small children do before they can draw or write properly: · How am I going to get all these scribbles off the wallpaper?
a picture that you paint or draw a painting or drawing: · Van Gogh's "Sunflowers' is one of the most famous pictures in the world.· an early picture by the French Impressionist painter Claude Monetpicture of: · There was a picture of a windmill on the bedroom wall.somebody's picture (=a painting or drawing of someone): · The house belonged to the Duke of Wellington, and his picture hangs in the hall.draw/paint a picture: · I didn't know the word in Japanese so I drew a little picture.do a picture spoken (=draw or paint a picture): · Daisy did a lovely picture of a cat at school today.
a picture that someone has painted: · an exhibition of paintings by French artists· The museum has an impressive collection of early 20th century American paintings.painting of: · a painting of the Grand Canal in Venice by Canaletto· Gaugin is famous for his paintings of native women on the Pacific island of Tahiti.do a painting: · Dali did several paintings of his wife.
a picture that has been drawn using a pen or pencil: · The classroom was bright and cheerful, with childrens' drawings on the walls.drawing of: · On the wall was a drawing of a woman's head by Matisse.do a drawing: · Degas did a series of drawings of dancers at the ballet school in Paris.
a picture consisting of a few lines drawn quickly with a pen or pencil: sketch of: · I thought your sketches of the garden were very attractive.do/make a sketch: · The architect did a sketch of how the building will look when it's finished.quick/rough sketch (=a sketch done very quickly): · Gabriella did a quick sketch of her baby daughter.
a picture in a book, which shows people or events that have been mentioned in the book: · The new encyclopedia is full of color illustrations and photographs.· Who did the illustrations for the book? They're lovely.
a very large picture or photograph printed on paper, which you put on a wall for decoration: poster of: · Anna's bedroom wall was covered in posters of James Dean and Marilyn Monroe.
a painting, drawing, or photograph of a person: portrait of: · A full-length portrait of the Queen hung on the wall.paint a portrait: · The artist Hans Holbein was best known for painting portraits.self-portrait (=a picture of the artist done by the artist): · Rembrandt's "Self-portrait with feather in cap"· A series of 43 self-portraits by Greek-born American Lucas Samaras (b. 1936) have been donated to the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
a painting or photograph showing an area of countryside: · "What kind of photographs do you take?" "Mostly landscapes, and some portraits."landscape painter/artist/photographer: · Constable is probably England's most famous landscape artist.
a small detailed drawing, especially one which is done in order to prepare for a larger picture, or as part of a series of drawings of the same kind of subject: study of: · Renoir did several studies of small plants and flowers.study for: · The exhibition includes a series of studies by Picasso for his painting Guernica.
a picture of someone without any clothes on: · To be honest, I prefer his flower pictures to his nudes.· a nude by Picasso
WORD SETSagent, nounbill, nounblack comedy, nouncasting, nouncomedy, nouncommentator, nouncostume drama, noundialogue, noundirect, verbdirector, noundocudrama, noundocumentary, noundocumentary, adjectivedramatize, verbdub, verbedit, verbeditor, nounedutainment, nounfilm, verbFX, grip, nounlead, nounmegastar, nounmerchandising, nounmix, verbmixer, nounmultimedia, adjectivenarration, nounorgan, nounpan, verbpanel, nounpanellist, nounpap, nounpersonality, nounpublicity, nounraconteur, nounrecast, verbrehearsal, nounrehearse, verbreissue, verbreprise, nounrerun, verbscript, nounshow business, nounsketch, nounsound, nounsound effects, nounspecial effect, nounstar, verbstarlet, nounstory, nounsubplot, nounsuperstar, nounthriller, nounweepy, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
Cantor drew a rough sketch of his apartment on a napkin. a thumbnail sketch (=very brief description) of topics treated in depth elsewhereCOLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES a box of paints and a sketch pad Keep a telephone pad and a pen to hand.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
Cantor drew a rough sketch of his apartment on a napkin. a thumbnail sketch (=very brief description) of topics treated in depth elsewhere· Once I am happy with the outline sketch, I start painting.
a box of paints and a sketch pad Keep a telephone pad and a pen to hand.· There is an extensive bibliography and fascinating biographical sketches of the often eccentric scholars who anticipated fractals.· The essay works best when it is dealing with people; and most of these are biographical sketches.
· Even given the briefest of sketches we can begin to glimpse the wider significances of design activity considered in this manner.· Some hints however emerge. Brief sketches of the two types of procedure may first be helpful.· Although this is not the place to undertake a detailed introduction to the model, a brief sketch will none the less prove useful.· A very brief sketch of some of the relevant points follows.· Before we proceed to an analysis of that culture, a brief sketch of the salient features of contemporary Britain is necessary.
· Berkeley police released a composite sketch of the man witnesses say they saw leaving the neighborhood.· Police released a composite sketch of him Saturday; in the picture, he is wearing a knit cap.· The composite sketches were developed from eyewitness descriptions of suspicious-looking people at the scene.
· This morning l drew a whole series of quick sketches of bowls of fruit.· She with his quick sketch of her as Madonna ascending in folds upon modest folds of garments.· With a few well-chosen words and a quick sketch or two, Bryan sorted them out for us.· Pat focuses the color camera on the flow, and I make a quick sketch of the mound in my notebook.
· Also, try to make a very rough sketch of the rooms on each floor.· Make a rough sketch of a parachute on the board.· Draw a rough sketch and then translate them all in a permanent fashion to the wall.· Cantor picked up his paper napkin and drew a rough sketch of a cell membrane.· She sighed again and sorted through the rough sketches.· Yoyo studied the rough sketch a moment.· I enclose details of how to find the school and a rough sketch map showing the route from the A6.
NOUN· In the morning Jack took out a sketch book and made some drawings of his friend Arthur Shaw.
· His character sketches of the principal players are sharp, perceptive and often very funny.· The two pieces with which Orlandersmith opens are rich character sketches that evolve seamlessly into moving, self-contained mini-dramas.· Not so much as a sociology essay, or an urban character sketch in London's Evening Standard.· Then there are character sketches to provide the raw material for creating the individuals who inhabit these tales.· If your client knows the defendant's witnesses they should be asked to give a character sketch of them.
· I also enclose a sketch map showing the exact location.· Generations of observers slowly improved their sketch maps of Mars.· Make with the sketch maps of the area.· I enclose details of how to find the school and a rough sketch map showing the route from the A6.· Each page has a colour photograph of the mountain, a sketch map and a description of the route.
· Daisy had brought her sketch pad, but found it difficult to capture the action and hold on to a straining Ethel.· Susan was already off the window scat, looking for a place to tuck her sketch pad.· Sheltering her sketch pad under her shirt, Daisy looked helplessly around.· Drawings torn from a sketch pad were tacked to the plank walls, a straw rug partially covered the floor.· There, before his eyes, lay one large and one small sketch pad.· If he sits too long, he pulls out a sketch pad and begins drawing.· She heard Comfort pick up the sketch pad again and simply lay, letting her draw whatever she liked.· His knapsack and sketch pad and sleeping bag lay on the floor, candy wrappers scattered around them.
· What is this pencil sketch that looks like a ground plan of the radio factory?
· This thumbnail sketch of a complicated web of negotiations says some unexpected things about Mr Major.· A thumbnail sketch of their functions and modes or organisation was also given.· A very tightly written little thumbnail sketch.
VERB· I found it difficult to take a rubbing so, despite my lack of artistic ability, I've drawn a sketch.· Cantor picked up his paper napkin and drew a rough sketch of a cell membrane.· Another type draws three-dimensional sketches like wire frames.· In stage three, for example, the remote viewer draws an initial sketch of the target.· I had drawn a fairly creditable sketch of the castle when, as I hoped, I heard voices behind me.
· Even given the briefest of sketches we can begin to glimpse the wider significances of design activity considered in this manner.· While this first chapter has outlined what that criticism is, the next gives sketches of half a dozen critical types.· It was absolutely no good just giving them a sketch and expecting them to expand on it using their own initiative.· If your client knows the defendant's witnesses they should be asked to give a character sketch of them.
· Miranda was now able to make some sketches of the action as well, as she knew its shape.· She had come there from Tokyo to see us off and make sketches of our departure.· Also, try to make a very rough sketch of the rooms on each floor.· It was a picturesque little place, and Nina began to make sketches.· Many entries in his diaries describe dramatic storms over the mountains when he was out making sketches.· He made two sketches in as many days and eventually completed a number of watercolors.· He did locate the apple orchard from which Liebermann had composed a large picture, and he made a sketch of it.· Pat focuses the color camera on the flow, and I make a quick sketch of the mound in my notebook.
· Cornelius Nepos wrote a most sympathetic sketch of Hannibal.· He also wrote sketches, essays and newspaper articles.· A very tightly written little thumbnail sketch.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1a simple, quickly made drawing that does not show much detailsketch of- A thumbnail sketch of their functions and modes or organisation was also given.
- A very tightly written little thumbnail sketch.
- But written instructions in the blank spaces of books themselves do survive and so do tiny marginal thumbnail sketches to indicate subjects.
- This thumbnail sketch of a complicated web of negotiations says some unexpected things about Mr Major.
Cantor drew a rough sketch of his apartment on a napkin.2a short humorous scene on a television programme, in a theatre etc, that is part of a larger show: Her TV programme is made up of a series of comic sketches.3a short written or spoken descriptionsketch of a brief sketch of the main weaknesses of the British economy a thumbnail sketch (=very brief description) of topics treated in depth elsewheresketch1 nounsketch2 verb
sketchsketch2 ●●○ verb VERB TABLE
sketch
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | sketch |
| he, she, it | sketches | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | sketched |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have sketched |
| he, she, it | has sketched | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had sketched |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will sketch |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have sketched |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am sketching |
| he, she, it | is sketching | |
| you, we, they | are sketching | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was sketching |
| you, we, they | were sketching | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been sketching |
| he, she, it | has been sketching | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been sketching |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be sketching |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been sketching |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- He sat by the river, sketching.
- Maggie grabbed a piece of paper and quickly sketched the bird before it flew away.
- Yeltsin sketched an aggressive battle plan for winning back his countrymen.
- But Labour, too, was disappointing in its reluctance to sketch out what an alternative science policy might look like.
- Finally, we sketch the evolution of Marxism after Marx.
- He sat against the wall sketching on a pad with colored pencils, a picture of telephone poles.
- I started sketching, but my hand shook.
- The departmental profiles that follow sketch the research interests of their members.
- The image of the war that I sketched earlier continues to color the efforts of many honest people.
- The remarks in this section only sketch out a province for which a proper theory of discourse deixis might provide an account.
- Truc, normally so good natured, was shouting angrily at Nina who was sitting on the raft and sketching the scene.
THESAURUS
to make a picture, pattern etc using a pen or pencil: · The children were asked to draw a picture of their families.· I’m going to art classes to learn how to draw.
to draw a picture of something or someone quickly and without a lot of detail: · Roy took a pencil and sketched the bird quickly, before it moved.
to draw the pictures in a book: · It’s a beautiful book, illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
to draw shapes or patterns without really thinking about what you are doing: · He was on the phone, doodling on his notepad as he spoke.
to draw shapes or lines without making a definite picture or pattern. Small children do this before they have learned to draw or write: · At the age of two, she loved scribbling with crayons and coloured pencils.
to copy a picture by putting a piece of thin paper over it and drawing the lines that you can see through the paper: · First trace the map, and then copy it into your workbooks.
Longman Language Activatorto draw a picture, pattern, line etc to make a picture, pattern, line etc using a pen or pencil: · What are you drawing?· She can draw really well.· I'm good at drawing animals, but I can't draw people.draw a picture of somebody/something: · Mike was sitting outside, drawing a picture of the trees at the bottom of the garden.draw a line/circle/square etc: · Someone had drawn a line under my name.
to make a quick, simple drawing of a person, place etc, without many details: · Maggie grabbed a piece of paper and quickly sketched the bird before it flew away.· He sat by the river, sketching.
to draw shapes, lines, or patterns without really thinking about what you are doing, for example when you are thinking about something else or when you feel bored: · I always doodle while I'm talking on the phone.doodle on: · Simon was lying on the floor, doodling on a sheet of paper.
to quickly draw lines and shapes without making any particular pattern, shape, or picture - use this especially about what small children do before they have learnt to draw or write: · Katie can't draw a real picture yet but she enjoys scribbling with crayons.scribble all over/on something: · Oh no! One of the kids has scribbled all over my report!
to copy a picture by putting transparent paper over it and then drawing along the lines of the picture: · The children traced the map of France and then wrote in the names of the places they had visited.
to describe something in a general way, giving only the main points to describe something such as an idea, plan, or report by giving the main points of it, especially in writing: · Each member of staff received a letter outlining their responsibilities and duties.· He declined to provide a copy of the report but agreed to outline its contents.
to describe something such as a plan or an idea in a general way without giving any details or being very exact: · In his letter, Marx sketched out his ideas for a new work on the history of capitalism in Britain.· Could you sketch out for us exactly how you see this plan developing?
WORD SETSabstract, nounacrylic, adjectiveacrylics, nounaltarpiece, nounaquatint, nounbrush, nounbrushwork, nouncanvas, nouncartridge paper, nouncollage, nouncubism, noundiptych, noundrawing, nouneasel, nounetching, nounexecute, verbexecution, nounfauvism, nounfigure, nounfix, verbfixative, nounframe, verbfreehand, adjectivefresco, nounfull face, adjectivegallery, nounglaze, noungouache, nounhalf-length, adjectivehatching, nounhighlight, nounhue, nounicon, nounillustration, nounillustrator, nounimpressionism, nounimpressionist, nounlettering, nounlife, nounline drawing, nounlithograph, nounlithography, nounminiature, nounminiaturist, nounmural, nounoil paint, nounoil painting, nounold master, nounpaintbox, nounpaintbrush, nounpainter, nounpainterly, adjectivepainting, nounpalette, nounpalette knife, nounpanel, nounpastel, nounpastel, adjectivepencil, nounperspective, nounpictogram, nounpigment, nounpointillism, nounportrait, nounportraiture, nounposter paint, nounprimitive, nounretouch, verbrice paper, nounseascape, nounself-portrait, nounshade, nounshade, verbshading, nounshow, verbsit, verbsitting, nounsketch, nounsketch, verbstencil, nounstencil, verbstill life, nounstipple, verbsubject, nounsurrealism, nounsurrealistic, adjectivetempera, nountrace, verbtriptych, nounview, nounwall painting, nounwatercolour, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES a box of paints and a sketch pad Keep a telephone pad and a pen to hand.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
· Once I am happy with the outline sketch, I start painting.
a box of paints and a sketch pad Keep a telephone pad and a pen to hand.· And on that subject, how much of the unknown and unknowable can I sketch in?
· But Labour, too, was disappointing in its reluctance to sketch out what an alternative science policy might look like.· He has three other plays sketched out in his mind but not yet committed to paper.· The remarks in this section only sketch out a province for which a proper theory of discourse deixis might provide an account.· She went down on her hands and knees to sketch out a full-scale dia-gram of the barrel she wanted.· In Chapter 8, I sketched out three different levels of rationality: groundedness, enlightenment and emancipation.· At one point, Janowitz sketches out the tedious details of an overblown mishap at the local library.· Therefore it remains for us to sketch out a more articulated theory based upon Bukharin's ideas of disproportionality and dis-equilibrium.· In the last paper I sketched out profiles for academic scholars.
NOUN· I have tried to sketch in outline why I think this to be wrong.· Before you begin, look at the way Katherine Mansfield sketched the outlines for her last stories.
VERB· As they talked, Modigliani began to sketch her.· Susan was followed on the program by Father Dougherty, who began his presentation by sketching a continuum on the blackboard.· I shall also begin to sketch the model that will be implemented within the Chart architecture.· I sat down and began sketching on the outside of the package.· We can best begin to sketch the positive characteristics of this activity by reversing the usual procedures.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1[intransitive, transitive] to draw a sketch of something- A thumbnail sketch of their functions and modes or organisation was also given.
- A very tightly written little thumbnail sketch.
- But written instructions in the blank spaces of books themselves do survive and so do tiny marginal thumbnail sketches to indicate subjects.
- This thumbnail sketch of a complicated web of negotiations says some unexpected things about Mr Major.
► see thesaurus at draw2 (also sketch out) [transitive] to describe something in a general way, giving the basic ideas:
Holford sketched a 10-year programme for rebuilding the city.sketch in ↔ something phrasal verb to add more information about something: I’d like to sketch in a few details for you.