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pictures

n.
US //ˈpɪktʃɝz// UK //pˈɪktʃəz// pic·tures
  1. 1 more than one image (n.)
    A1 Beginner

    more than one drawing, painting, or photograph.

    the plural form of picture, referring to multiple visual representations on a surface.

    Example

    She hung several pictures of her family on the living room wall.

    Example

    The gallery displayed a series of pictures depicting the industrial landscape of northern England during the mid-twentieth century.

  2. 2 the cinema (n.)
    B1 Intermediate British English Informal

    the cinema or a place where you go to watch a film.

    a plural-only noun referring to the cinema or the film industry; common in British and Irish English.

    Example

    Do you want to go to the pictures to see the new action movie tonight?

    Example

    In the era before television became universal, a weekly trip to the pictures was the primary form of entertainment for most families.

    Usage

    Usually used with 'the', as in 'going to the pictures'.

    Teacher's tip

    This is a slightly old-fashioned but still common way to say 'the cinema' in the UK and Ireland.

Idioms1 entry

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