Word
paintbrush
Phoneticspaint·brush, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈpeɪntˌbɹəʃ/
UK/pˈeɪntbɹʌʃ/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a brush you use to put paint on walls, paper, or other surfaces.
n. a hand-held tool consisting of bristles set into a handle, used for applying paint to a surface.
Examples
“She cleans her paintbrush after painting the wall.”
“He dips his paintbrush in blue paint to add sky to the picture.”
“With a single stroke of her paintbrush, she transformed the blank canvas into a misty morning landscape.”
Examples
simple
“She cleans her paintbrush after painting the wall.”
contextual
“He dips his paintbrush in blue paint to add sky to the picture.”
complex
“With a single stroke of her paintbrush, she transformed the blank canvas into a misty morning landscape.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “paintbrush” in context.
Verb
01. dip paintbrush
“Dip your paintbrush in the water before you start.”
verb + noun
02. draw with paintbrush
“You can draw with a paintbrush and blue paint.”
verb + prep + noun
03. hold paintbrush
“Hold your paintbrush like a pencil for small details.”
verb + noun
04. paint with paintbrush
“The children painted with a paintbrush and bright colours.”
verb + prep + noun
05. paintbrush dries
“The old paintbrush dries very fast in the sun.”
noun + verb
Adjective
06. large paintbrush
“He used a large paintbrush to paint the wall white.”
adj + noun
Noun
07. paintbrush holder
“Put your paintbrush in the paintbrush holder.”
noun + noun
08. paintbrush set
“I bought a new paintbrush set for art class.”
noun + noun
09. paintbrush stroke
“You can see each paintbrush stroke in the picture.”
noun + noun
10. a set of paintbrushes
“She got a set of paintbrushes for her birthday.”
11. dip a paintbrush in paint
“Dip a paintbrush in paint and make a dot.”
12. paint with a paintbrush
“We learned to paint with a paintbrush at school.”
Real-World Examples
“Ashfall also remains an active dig site, staffed every summer by student interns who use tiny tools such as small paintbrushes and dental picks to gently excavate the ash.” Etymology
From paint + brush.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- A2 · Elementary
- Updated
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