paint

paint¹ W3S2 [peınt] n [U]

1.) a liquid that you put on a surface, using a brush to make the surface a particular colour

▪ a can of blue paint

▪ Wet paint (=used as a warning on signs when something has just been painted)

▪ The whole house could do with a fresh coat of paint .

peeling/flaking paint

(=old paint that is starting to come off the surface)

▪ All this room needs is a lick of paint (=paint used to make a place more attractive) .

↑palette, ↑paint

2.) paints

tubes or dry blocks of a coloured substance, used for painting pictures

▪ acrylic and oil paints

paint ²

paint² W3S2 v

[Date: 1100-1200; : Old French; Origin: peint, past participle of peindre 'to paint', from Latin pingere]

1.) [I and T]

to put paint on a surface

▪ The ceiling needs painting.

▪ brightly painted houses

paint sth (in) blue/red/green etc

▪ We painted the door blue.

▪ Paint the walls in a contrasting colour.

▪ The living room was painted in pastel shades of pink and blue.

2.) [I and T]

to make a picture, design etc using paint

▪ A white cross was painted on the door.

▪ Turner is famous for painting landscapes.

paint in oils/watercolours etc

(=paint using a particular type of paint)

▪ He paints mainly in acrylics.

3.) [T]

to put a coloured substance on part of your face or body to make it different or more attractive

▪ The children's faces were painted to look like animals.

▪ She'd painted her toenails with red nail polish.

4.) [T]

to describe someone or something in a particular way

paint sb/sth as sth

▪ She's often been painted as a tough businesswoman.

paint a grim/rosy/gloomy picture of sb/sth

▪ Dickens painted a grim picture of Victorian life.

▪ The article painted him in a bad light (=described him in a way that made him seem bad) .

5.) paint the town (red) informal to go out to bars, clubs etc to enjoy yourself

→not be as black as you are painted at ↑black¹ (10)

paint out [paint sth<=>out] phr v

to cover part of a picture or sign with paint so that it can no longer be seen

▪ The name of the firm had been partially painted out.

paint over [paint over sth] phr v

to cover a picture or surface with new paint

▪ Much of the original decoration was painted over.