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n. 1. a. A liquid mixture, usually of a solid pigment in a liquid vehicle, used as a decorative or protective coating. b. The thin dry film formed by such a mixture when applied to a surface. c. The solid pigment before it is mixed with a vehicle. 2. A cosmetic, such as rouge, that is used to give color to the face; makeup. 3. Basketball The free throw lane. 4. A Paint horse. 5. Slang The face cards in a deck of cards: I haven't seen any paint for the last ten hands. v. paint·ed, paint·ing, paints v.tr. 1. To make (a picture) with paints. 2. a. To represent in a picture with paints. b. To depict vividly in words. 3. To coat or decorate with paint: paint a house. 4. To apply cosmetics to. 5. To apply medicine to; swab: paint a wound. 6. To shine a laser beam on, especially in order to designate a target for laser-guided munitions. v.intr. Idioms: 1. To practice the art of painting pictures. 2. To cover something with paint. 3. To apply cosmetics to oneself: "Let her paint an inch thick, to this favor she must come" (Shakespeare). 4. To serve as a surface to be coated with paint: These nonporous surfaces paint badly with a brush. paint the black Baseball To throw a pitched ball over the edge of home plate for a strike. paint the town red Slang To go on a spree. [From Middle English painten, to paint, from Old French peintier, from peint, past participle of peindre, from Latin pingere; see peig- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] paint′a·bili·ty n. painta·ble adj. |
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