sketch
/ˈskɛt͡ʃ/ verb, noun, adjective
Forms sketches sketching sketched scetch
- verb (ambitransitive) To make a brief, basic drawing. “I usually sketch with a pen rather than a pencil.”
- verb (transitive) To describe briefly and with very few details. “He sketched the accident, sticking to the facts as they had happened.”
- noun A rapidly executed freehand drawing that is not intended as a finished work, often consisting of a multitude of overlapping lines.
- noun A rough design, plan, or draft, as a rough draft of a book.
- noun A brief description of a person or account of an incident; a general presentation or outline. “I have to write a character sketch for a novel study.”
- noun A brief musical composition or theme, especially for the piano.
- noun A brief, light, or informal literary composition, such as an essay or short story.
- noun (informal) An amusing person.
- noun (slang, Ireland) A lookout; vigilant watch for something. “to keep sketch”
- noun (UK) A humorous newspaper article summarizing political events, making heavy use of metaphor, paraphrase and caricature.
- adjective (informal) Sketchy, shady, questionable.
- adjective (informal, black metal, of a band) Fascist or with right-wing or neo-Nazi ties; NSBM.
Synonyms
croquis pen picture pen portrait skit study vignette survey resume cartoon chalk out outline adumbrate
Etymology
From Dutch schets or German Skizze, from Italian schizzo, from Latin schedium, from Ancient Greek σχέδιος (skhédios, “made suddenly, off-hand”), from σχεδόν (skhedón, “near, nearby”), from ἔχω (ékhō, “to hold”). Compare scheme.
Webster’s 1913
- noun An outline or general delineation of anything; a first rough or incomplete draught or plan of any design; especially, in the fine arts, such a representation of an object or scene as serves the artist's purpose by recording its chief features; also, a preliminary study for an original work.
- verb To draw the outline or chief features of; to make a rought of.
- verb To plan or describe by giving the principal points or ideas of.
- verb To make sketches, as of landscapes.
Etymology [D. schets, fr. It. schizzo a sketch, a splash (whence also F. esquisse; cf. Esquisse.); cf. It. schizzare to splash, to sketch.]
Etymology [Cf D. schetsen, It. schizzare. See Sketch, n.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “sketch”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details