sketch
pronunciation
How to pronounce sketch in British English:
UK [sketʃ]
How to pronounce sketch in American English:
US [sketʃ]
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- Noun:
- preliminary drawing for later elaboration
- a brief literary description
- short descriptive summary (of events)
- a humorous or satirical drawing published in a newspaper or magazine
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- Verb:
- make a sketch of
- describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of
Word Origin
- sketch
- sketch: [17] Sketch comes ultimately from Greek skhédios ‘impromptu’. This reached English by a rather roundabout route: via Latin schedius, which led to a Vulgar Latin verb schediāre ‘do hastily’, source of Italian schizzare ‘make a sketch’, which in turn produced the noun schizzo ‘sketch’, borrowed into English via German skizze or Dutch schets.
- sketch (n.)
- "rough drawing intended to serve as the basis for a finished picture," 1660s, from Dutch schets or Low German skizze, both apparently 17c. artists' borrowings from Italian schizzo "sketch, drawing," which is commonly said to be from Latin *schedius (OED compares schedia "raft," schedium "an extemporaneous poem"), from or related to Greek skhedios "temporary, extemporaneous, done or made off-hand," related to skhema "form, shape, appearance" (see scheme (n.)). But according to Barnhart Italian schizzo is a special use of schizzo "a splash, squirt," from schizzare "to splash or squirt," of uncertain origin. Extended sense of "brief account" is from 1660s; meaning "short play or performance, usually comic" is from 1789. Sketch-book recorded from 1820. German Skizze, French esquisse, Spanish esquicio are likewise from Italian schizzo.
- sketch (v.)
- 1690s, "present the essential facts of," from sketch (n.). Meaning "draw, portray in outline and partial shading" is from 1725. Related: Sketched; sketcher; sketching.
Example
- 1. Do you have time to draw one sketch today ?
- 2. Then go out and buy your child a nice big sketch pad .
- 3. First , let me sketch the other basic view .
- 4. This ability is the basis for abstract thought and reasoning , and is often called the " mental sketch pad . "
- 5. Such speeches are typically meant to sketch out a president 's broad agenda rather than deliver specifics .