Showing results for "drawing"

• present participle of draw.

drawing

American  

[draw-ing] / ˈdrɔ ɪŋ /

noun

drawings plural

1. the act of a person or thing that draws.

2. a graphic representation by lines of an object or idea, as with a pencil; a delineation of form without reference to color.

3. a sketch, plan, or design, especially one made with pen, pencil, or crayon.

4. the art or technique of making these.

5. something decided by drawing lots; lottery.

6. the selection, or time of selection, of the winning chance or chances sold by lottery or raffle.

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drawing British  

/ ˈdrɔːɪŋ /

noun

1. 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

2. a sketch, plan, or outline

3. the art of making drawings; draughtsmanship

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• self-drawing
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• drawings
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

drawing drawings

The darker strains in his comedies have been drawn out by directors eager to show there’s more to the playwright than his drawing room panache.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Even so, manufacturers such as Valhalla Boatworks are already drawing up plans for vessels that will accommodate such power.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

“It’s an opportunity for our chefs to share a thoughtful expression of place, often drawing inspiration from Northland’s rich coastal environment and Māori culinary traditions,” says JT Mulry, Culinary Director at Rosewood Kauri Cliffs.

From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026

“It was my own personal triumph over dyslexia. When I was drawing up the plans, I kept worrying that I would transpose numbers and screw it all up, but it came out great,” he explained.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

Dad says it’s ironic because I’m so good at drawing, but I don’t try to explain things with my drawings.

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila

While Wangchuk is not at the protest site any longer, many of the placards and posters have slogans about his fast and drawings of him.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

Rogers Jones Auctioneers are selling Young's original working drawings for his celebrated porcelain.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

A culmination, it incorporates the sinuous lines of the brush drawings with the color blocks of the cut-outs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

He went several times to a show of portraits by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres at London’s National Gallery in 1999 and was greatly taken with the photographic’ quality of Ingres’ 19th century drawings.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026

She was using the exact same markers as me, but somehow when she drew with them, her drawings looked a million times better than mine.

From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff

Related Words

• cartoon
• depiction
• design
• etching
• graphics
• layout
• likeness
• painting
• picture
• sketch
• study
• work of art