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cartoon

n. · v.
US //kɑɹˈtun// UK //kɑːtˈuːn// car·toon
  1. 1 animated film (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a film or television show made of moving drawings rather than real people.

    an animated production, typically intended for entertainment, created using a series of drawings or computer-generated imagery.

    Example

    The children wake up early on Saturday mornings to watch their favourite cartoons.

    Example

    While often dismissed as children's entertainment, modern cartoons frequently employ sophisticated narrative structures and social commentary to appeal to adult audiences.
    • live action
  2. 2 humorous drawing (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a funny drawing in a newspaper or magazine, often about politics or daily life.

    a single drawing or series of drawings, often accompanied by a caption, intended to be humorous or satirical.

    Example

    There was a funny cartoon in the newspaper today about the weather.

    Example

    The political cartoon in the Sunday edition used sharp satire to critique the government's latest economic policy.
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  1. 3 art template (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Art

    a full-size drawing used as a plan for a large piece of art like a painting on a wall.

    a full-scale preparatory drawing used as a template for a fresco, mosaic, or tapestry.

    Example

    The museum displayed the original cartoon used to create the famous tapestry.

    Example

    Art historians analysed the charcoal cartoon to understand how the Renaissance master originally planned the composition of the cathedral's fresco.
  2. 4 to draw humorously (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Formal

    to draw someone or something in a funny or exaggerated way.

    to represent a subject in the style of a cartoon, often involving exaggeration or caricature.

    Example

    The artist spent the afternoon cartooning the tourists at the park.

    Example

    The illustrator was hired to cartoon the executive board for the company's annual light-hearted internal newsletter.

    Usage

    The verb is transitive and requires a direct object.
Origin

In British English first, from French carton (“sketch, cardboard, card”), from Italian cartone (“cardboard, carton, box”), augmentative of carta (“paper”), from Latin carta (“papyrus, paper”), from Ancient Greek χάρτης (khártēs) (see there for further etymology). Doublet of carton and card.

Word family

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