painter

¹ American  

[peyn-ter] / ˈpeɪn tər /

noun

1. an artist who paints pictures.

2. a person who coats walls or other surfaces with paint, especially as an occupation.

3. Astronomy. Painter, the constellation Pictor.

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painter ² American  

[peyn-ter] / ˈpeɪn tər /

noun

1. a rope, usually at the bow, for fastening a boat to a ship, stake, etc.

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painter ³ American  

[peyn-ter] / ˈpeɪn tər /

noun

1. cougar.

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painter ¹ British  

/ ˈpeɪntə /

noun

1. a person who paints surfaces as a trade

2. an artist who paints pictures

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painter ² British  

/ ˈpeɪntə /

noun

1. a line attached to the bow of a boat for tying it up

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Etymology

Origin of painter¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English peyntour, pentour, paint(o)ur, from Anglo-French peint(o)ur, from unattested Vulgar Latin pinctor, from Latin pictor (noun derivative of pingere paint ( def. ) + -or ² ( def. ) ); see -er ¹ ( def. )

Origin of painter²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English peyntour, pentre, probably from Middle French pentoir, variant of pendoir “rope, cord for hanging things on,” from Old French pentoir, penteur; see origin at pend, -er ²

Origin of painter³

An Americanism dating back to 1755–65; variant of panther

Explanation

A painter is an artist who uses a brush to daub colors onto paper or canvas. The person who tints your bedroom walls pink at your request is also a painter. The main thing painters have in common is that they use paint — whether it's watercolor, house paint, or finger paint. If you hire a painter to paint your portrait, you'll end up with a work of art suitable for framing. And if you hire a painter to paint your house green, you'll end up with a green house. If a sailboat captain mentions a painter, they're probably referring to the special rope used for towing or tying up a boat.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

painter

His mother worked as a teaching assistant and his father a painter, and they earned enough to buy a home, which was their priority.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

The decisive push to pack her bags came when she wrote to modernist painter Georgia O'Keeffe, who encouraged Kusama to seek international recognition in the United States.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

Its most prominent members—founder Walter Gropius, architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and painter László Moholy-Nagy—rose to global prominence in the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

“It’s pretty typical of the 1939 exhibition on Treasure Island. Ralph Stackpole had a studio and home down the street and he brought in painter Diego Rivera and they created these styles of sculptures.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

It’s ironic, though: Leonardo is the least appropriate painter for this sort of fame.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

Related Words

• animator
• artisan
• craftsman
• illustrator