drawing
Americannoun
-
the act of a person or thing that draws.
-
a graphic representation by lines of an object or idea, as with a pencil; a delineation of form without reference to color.
-
a sketch, plan, or design, especially one made with pen, pencil, or crayon.
-
the art or technique of making these.
-
something decided by drawing lots; lottery.
-
the selection, or time of selection, of the winning chance or chances sold by lottery or raffle.
noun
-
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
-
a sketch, plan, or outline
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Week 3 Vocabulary
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
That’s when a tank gets so low that drawing hits dregs — an all-but-unusable mix of oil sludge and debris — before a physical bottom is reached.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 6, 2026
Dara says breathing exercises, drawing, journalling and meditation helped "keep her in the centre".
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
“It normalizes the use of AI replicas and synthetic performers rather than drawing a firm line protecting human performers and their jobs,” said Chuck Slavin, a background actor and performer.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
Elevated global inventories and reduced demand initially muted oil prices, but inventories are now drawing rapidly.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
Coding, portrait drawing, and creative writing for teens.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
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.
