drawing
Americannoun
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the act of a person or thing that draws.
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a graphic representation by lines of an object or idea, as with a pencil; a delineation of form without reference to color.
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a sketch, plan, or design, especially one made with pen, pencil, or crayon.
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the art or technique of making these.
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something decided by drawing lots; lottery.
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the selection, or time of selection, of the winning chance or chances sold by lottery or raffle.
noun
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a picture or plan made by means of lines on a surface, esp one made with a pencil or pen without the use of colour
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a sketch, plan, or outline
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the art of making drawings; draughtsmanship
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of drawing
A Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; see origin at draw, -ing 1
Explanation
A drawing is a sketch or a picture, usually made with a pencil or pen. You might use extra class time after you've finished a test to make a quick drawing of your teacher sleeping at his desk. A drawing is an artwork that's not a painting — it's made of sketched lines and represents some object, person, or form. An architect might begin working on a project for a house design by doing some drawings, and a kindergartener might proudly hang a drawing of her family on the refrigerator. Another kind of drawing is the act of pulling, which is also the earliest meaning of the word.
Vocabulary lists containing drawing
Lessons 3–4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The end was drawing near in a nine-year fight for justice, in a case of modern slavery on a Scottish fishing trawler.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
E-motos aren’t street-legal, but they are drawing newbies to an industry thirsty for young riders.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
Perpetual futures, or “perps,” allow small investors high leverage, potentially drawing them from traditional exchange products like zero-day options.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
“He grew more confident with each pass on his drawing, and realized ... that much of the rightness of the drawing, of any drawing, came through time and diligence and discernment.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
"That means no new paper orders for the rest of the year. So tell me, is another sheet of paper needed because that drawing was so bad—or because your talent is so important?"
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
