portrait
/ˈpɔɹtɹət/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.22 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A print orientation where the vertical sides are longer than the horizontal sides.
Countable; Uncountable
adj
Representing the actual features of an individual; not ideal.
Example Sentences
- "In portraits, the grace, and, we may add, the likeness, consists more in the general air than in the exact similitude of every feature."
- "The author painted a good portrait of urban life in New York in his latest book."
- "She showed me her portrait, written by herself. I only remember what she states of her mouth, which, she says, was not only beautiful and red, but had a thousand little natural airs and graces not to be found in any other mouth. Oh, I must not forget her figure, which, she assured the reader, was the best-made and the finest that could be seen: nothing could be more regular, more graceful, or more easy."
- "But all as in most exquisite pictures, they vse to blaze and portrait, not only the daintie lineaments or beautie, but also round about it to shadowe the rude thickets and craggy clifts"
- "Methinkes yᵉ picture of Sᵗ George fighting with yᵉ Dragon hath some resemblance of Sᵗ Michael fighting with the Devil, who is pourtrated like a Dragon."
- "a portrait bust; a portrait statue"
Etymology
From Middle French portraict, pourtraict, nominal use of the past participle of portraire (“portray”), from Latin prōtrahō (< prō- + trahō). Compare typologically English drawing.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: portraict, prōtrahō
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈpɔɹtɹət/
- British English: /ˈpɔːtɹeɪt/