picture

pic|ture¹ W1S1 [ˈpıktʃə US -ər] n

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

1¦(painting/drawing)¦

2¦(photograph)¦

3¦(television)¦

4¦(description/idea)¦

5¦(situation)¦

6¦(mental image)¦

7 put/keep somebody in the picture

8 get the picture

9 out of the picture

10¦(film)¦

11 be the picture of health/innocence/despair etc

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

[Date: 1400-1500; : Latin; Origin: pictura, from pictus, past participle of pingere 'to paint']

1.) ¦(PAINTING/DRAWING)¦

shapes, lines etc painted or drawn on a surface, showing what someone or something looks like

▪ The room had several pictures on the walls.

▪ a book with pictures in it

picture of

▪ I like that picture of the two horses.

draw/paint a/sb's picture

▪ Draw a picture of your house.

▪ He asked her permission to paint her picture (=paint a picture of her) .

2.) ¦(PHOTOGRAPH)¦

a photograph

picture of

▪ That's a great picture of you, Dad!

take sb's picture/take a picture of sb

▪ I asked the waiter if he'd mind taking our picture.

wedding/holiday etc pictures

▪ Would you like to see the wedding pictures?

3.) ¦(TELEVISION)¦

an image that appears on a television or cinema screen

picture of

▪ upsetting pictures of the famine in Africa

▪ satellite pictures from space

4.) ¦(DESCRIPTION/IDEA)¦ [C usually singular]

a description or idea of what something is like

picture of

▪ Once the research is complete, we'll have a clearer picture of the outcome.

▪ an overall picture of the country's health needs

▪ What sort of picture is starting to emerge ?

paint a bleak/happy/rosy etc picture

(=describe something in a particular way)

▪ The film paints a bleak picture of life in the inner city.

▪ The article gives a vivid picture of the way artists at the studio collaborated.

▪ Detectives are trying to build up a picture of the kidnapper.

5.) ¦(SITUATION)¦ [singular]

the general situation in a place, organization etc

▪ The worldwide picture for tribal people remains grim.

▪ the wider political picture

▪ Checks throughout the region revealed a similar picture everywhere.

big/bigger/wider picture

▪ We were so caught up with the details, we lost sight of the big picture (= the situation considered as a whole) .

6.) ¦(MENTAL IMAGE)¦ [C usually singular]

an image or memory that you have in your mind

▪ Sarah had a mental picture of Lisbon.

▪ He had a vivid picture in his mind.

7.) put/keep sb in the picture

to give someone all the information they need to understand a situation, especially one that is changing quickly

▪ I'm just going now, but Keith will put you in the picture.

8.) get the picture informal

to understand a situation

▪ You've said enough. I get the picture.

9.) out of the picture

if someone is out of the picture, they are no longer involved in a situation

▪ Injury has effectively put Woods out of the picture as far as international matches are concerned.

10.)¦(FILM)¦

a)

a film

▪ It was voted the year's best picture.

b) the pictures [plural] BrE

the cinema

▪ Would you like to go to the pictures?

11.) be the picture of health/innocence/despair etc

to look very healthy etc

▪ Head bowed and sobbing, she was the picture of misery.

→pretty as a picture at ↑pretty² (7)

picture ²

picture² v [T]

1.) to imagine something by making an image in your mind

▪ Tom, picturing the scene, smiled.

picture sb/sth as sth

▪ Rob had pictured her as serious, but she wasn't like that.

picture sb doing sth

▪ I can't picture him skiing. He's so clumsy!

picture what/how

▪ Picture what it would be like after a nuclear attack.

2.) [usually passive]

to show someone or something in a photograph, painting, or drawing

▪ She is pictured with her mum Christine and sister Kelly.

3.) [usually passive]

to describe something in a particular way

be pictured as sth

▪ She's been pictured as a difficult, demanding woman.