paint
- 01 A1 Beginner
n.a liquid substance used to colour or protect surfaces like walls or wood.
n.a substance composed of pigment suspended in a liquid medium, applied to surfaces for decorative or protective purposes.
Simple“We bought five cans of white paint to refresh the living room walls.”
In context“The contractor recommended a high-gloss paint for the exterior trim to ensure maximum durability against the coastal humidity.”
- 02 A1 Beginner
n.a set of different colours used for making pictures.
n.a collection of pigments, often in tubes or cakes, used by artists to produce representational or abstract works.
Simple“The children got out their brushes and paints to make birthday cards.”
In context“The artist preferred working with professional-grade oil paints, citing their superior blending capabilities and rich texture.”
Synonymswatercoloursoils - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the rectangular area on a basketball court near the basket.
n.the rectangular area between the baseline and the free-throw line, typically shaded or coloured differently from the rest of the court.
Simple“The tall player scored most of his points from inside the paint.”
In context“The defensive strategy focused on preventing the opposing centre from establishing a dominant position within the paint.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
n.the image or spot that shows up on a radar screen.
n.the visual representation or 'return' of an object detected by a radar system.
Simple“The operator noticed a small paint on the radar screen moving south.”
In context“The stealth aircraft was designed to minimize its radar cross-section, making it nearly impossible to produce a consistent paint on enemy monitors.”
- 05 A1 Beginner
v.to put paint on something like a wall or a fence.
v.to apply a pigmented coating to a surface, typically using a brush, roller, or spray.
Simple“They decided to paint the front door bright red.”
In context“Before they could paint the weathered siding, they had to spend several days sanding away the old, peeling layers.”
- 06 A2 Elementary
v.to make a picture using paints.
v.to produce a representational or abstract image through the application of pigments to a substrate.
Simple“She likes to go to the park and paint the trees in autumn.”
In context“The portraitist chose to paint his subjects in natural light to capture the subtle nuances of their expressions.”
- 07 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to describe someone or something in a particular way.
v.to depict or characterize someone or something through verbal or written description.
Simple“The newspaper tried to paint the politician as a hero.”
In context“The biography attempts to paint a more sympathetic picture of the monarch than previous historical accounts have suggested.”
Synonyms - 08 C1 Advanced
v.to put liquid medicine on a part of the body using a brush.
v.to apply a liquid medicinal or antiseptic substance to a localized area of the body.
Simple“The nurse will paint the area with iodine before the small operation.”
In context“The surgeon instructed the staff to paint the incision site with a sterile solution to minimize the risk of post-operative infection.”
From Middle English peynten, from Old French peintier, paincter, itself from paint, the past participle of paindre, from Latin pingō (“to paint”) (perfect passive participle pictus). Displaced native Old English tēafor (“paint”), *tīefran (“to paint”); and Old English mētan (“to paint”) and mǣlan (“to paint, mark with colour”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.