Word noun
thinner
n.
US /ˈθɪnɝ/ UK /θˈɪnɐ/ thin·ner UK spelling thinners
Definition
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a liquid you add to paint or glue to make it thinner and easier to use.
a volatile solvent used to reduce the viscosity of paints, varnishes, or adhesives for easier application.
Simple“You need to add some paint thinner to the brush before you start cleaning it.”
In context“The artist carefully mixed a small amount of cellulose thinner into the oil paint to achieve the desired transparency for the base layer.”
UsageOften used in the compound 'paint thinner'.
Synonymssolventdiluent
Real-world usage
“The nanoparticles are around a thousand times thinner than a human hair.”
“It’s a few tenths of a millimeter thinner, but that’s not enough to notice unless you have both phones to compare.”
Etymology
From thin + -er.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated