cartoon
cartoon Lexical Profile
cartoon Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A motion picture or television program made using animation techniques rather than photographing live actors.
"On Saturday mornings, the children would wake up early to watch their favorite cartoons on television."
A simple drawing or series of drawings showing the features of its subjects in a humorously exaggerated way, especially a satirical one in a newspaper or magazine.
"The newspaper published a political cartoon poking fun at the new tax policy."
A full-size drawing made by an artist as a preliminary design for a painting, fresco, stained glass window, or tapestry.
"The museum holds several Renaissance cartoons created by Raphael as guides for the Sistine Chapel tapestries."
• verb
To make a drawing of someone or something in a simplified or humorously exaggerated style.
"The street artist deftly cartooned the tourists sitting across the plaza."
• Rhymes for cartoon
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 16th century from Italian 'cartone', an augmentative of 'carta' (paper, card) derived from Latin 'charta'. Originally referring to a full-size preliminary drawing on heavy paper for a fresco or tapestry, it acquired its modern sense of a humorous or satirical illustration in 1843 via Punch magazine.