painter

1 of 3

noun (1)

paint·​er ˈpān-tər How to pronounce painter (audio)
: one that paints: such as
a
: an artist who paints
b
: one who applies paint especially as an occupation

painter

2 of 3

noun (2)

pain·​ter ˈpān-tər How to pronounce painter (audio)
: a line used for securing or towing a boat

painter

3 of 3

noun (3)

pain·​ter ˈpān-tər How to pronounce painter (audio)

Examples of painter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
On the sixth floor, the Atelier studio recalls a painter’s workshop, melding brick walls with vivid rugs. Alia Akkam, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Mar. 2024 Gray was a Scottish writer and a painter who died in 2019 and thus was unable to enjoy the movie’s lush cinematography and many orgasms. Jim Ruland, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2024 The British painter Harold Cohen spent decades refining his artistic collaborator, an image-generating robot called AARON. Will Heinrich, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 Now known as Entrée du port (Entrance to the Port), the mural might have been influenced by painters Claude-Joseph Vernet or Claude Lorrain, who depicted seaports in their work, as the Art Newspaper writes. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024 Then don’t touch the focus ring again — or secure it with painter’s tape, as mentioned in No. 8. 13. Michael E. Bakich, Discover Magazine, 24 Feb. 2024 On the room’s south wall hangs the couple’s growing art collection, which features works by people in their social circle, including the painter Louis Fratino, Forsblom’s friend the painter Sophie Larrimore and Heimans’s brother, Ralph, a portraitist. Max Berlinger, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 The remnants of a 64-square-foot mural created by Paul Cézanne have been discovered beneath layers of wallpaper and plaster in the painter’s idyllic home in France. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024 Photographers, plein-air painters and sightseers revel in this striking scene, especially in the Napa Valley, where wild mustard appears in abundance from January through March. Ben Davidson, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'painter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

Middle English paynter, probably from Middle French dialect (Normandy) pentoir, penteur clothesline, from pendre to hang — more at pendant

Noun (3)

alteration of panther

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

circa 1764, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of painter was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near painter

Cite this Entry

“Painter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/painter. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

painter

1 of 3 noun
paint·​er ˈpānt-ər How to pronounce painter (audio)
: one that paints
especially : an artist who paints

painter

2 of 3 noun
pain·​ter
: a line used for attaching or towing a boat

painter

3 of 3 noun
pain·​ter
: cougar
Etymology

Noun

from paint (verb) and -er (noun suffix)

Noun

Middle English paynter "a line used for securing a boat," probably from early French pentoir, penteur "clothesline"

Noun

an altered form of panther

More from Merriam-Webster on painter

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