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paint·er 1 (pāntər)
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n.
One who paints, either as an artist or worker.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
pain·ter 2 (pāntər)
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n.
A rope attached to the bow of a boat, used for tying up, as when docking or towing.

[Middle English peintour, probably from Old French pentoir, attested in the meaning "place where one hangs clothes to dry" (compare Middle French pendoir, keyring, something used to suspend an animal for butchering), from pendre, to hang, from Vulgar Latin *pendere, from Latin pendēre; see (s)pen- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
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painter2

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
pain·ter 3 (pāntər)
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n.
Chiefly Upper Southern US
See cougar.

[Alteration of PANTHER.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.