Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

posterize

/ˈpoʊstəˌɹaɪz/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: post-er-ize
IPA: /ˈpoʊstəˌɹaɪz/

20

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To inadvertently or intentionally reduce the number of colours in (a photograph or other image), changing a continuous gradation of tone to several regions of fewer tones with abrupt changes from one tone to another.

Transitive verb

verb

To score a slam dunk in basketball against (one or more opposing players) by leaping over them; also (by extension, sports, slang), to score a goal, a point, etc., in some other sport against (one or more opposing players) in a spectacular manner.

Canadian usage; American usage; Slang; Transitive verb

verb

To inadvertently or intentionally reduce the number of colours in a photograph or other image, changing a continuous gradation of tone to several regions of fewer tones with abrupt changes from one tone to another.

Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

"Probably, [Sam] Perkins just wanted to get out of the way and not be "posterized," which is what happens when the dunkee is humiliated by the dunker. But [Michael] Jordan thought Perkins, his college teammate, would try to block the dunk, so he switched the ball from his right to his left hand at chest level. […] Jordan extended his left hand, and flipped the ball off glass, with reverse spin, into the basket. […] Only one other such spectacular shot in a game of consequence comes to mind, the time in the 1980 NBA finals when Julius Erving wrapped himself around the basket, going out of bounds while in the air in the process, and posterized Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Mark Landsberger with a reverse one-hand flip off the glass."

Etymology

From poster + -ize (suffix forming verbs denoting something which is done or made). Sense 1.1 (“to reduce the number of colours”) refers to the original use of the process to produce posters. Sense 1.2 (“to score a slam dunk in basketball against (one or more opposing players) by leaping over them”) refers to the action being so spectacular as to warrant a photograph of it being printed on a poster.

Word Breakdown

Prefix: poster
Suffix: -ize

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈpoʊstəˌɹaɪz/
British English: /ˈpəʊstəɹaɪz/

Usage

Inflected Forms

posterizes (present, singular) posterizing (participle, present) posterized (participle, past) posterized (past) posterise (alternative)

Derived Forms

posterization posterisation posterizing posterising

Frequently Paired Words

posterized posterised

Questions

How do you pronounce posterize?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpoʊstəˌɹaɪz/.
What does posterize mean?: To inadvertently or intentionally reduce the number of colours in (a photograph or other image), changing a continuous gradation of tone to several regions of fewer tones with abrupt changes from one tone to another.
Where does posterize come from?: From poster + -ize (suffix forming verbs denoting something which is done or made). Sense 1.1 (“to reduce the number of colours”) refers to the original use of the process to produce posters. Sense 1.2 (“to score a slam dunk in basketball against (one or more opposing players) by leaping over them”) refers to the action being so spectacular as to warrant a photograph of it being printed on a poster.

How to pronounce posterize

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Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈpoʊstəˌɹaɪz/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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