limn
- to represent in drawing or painting.
- to portray in words; describe.
- Obsolete. to illuminate (manuscripts).
Origin of limn
Examples from the Web for limns
Contemporary Examples of limns
“Count the number of times he uses ‘I’ in any speech, and compare that to any other president,” limns Doctor Krauthammer.
Historical Examples of limns
He limns England as it was, and as it is; and asks the aristocratic and the millocrat if they are not ashamed of their deeds?
Here, too, he limns the scenes of his comedy-tragedy, and depicts the changing fashions of the time.
Home Life of Great AuthorsHattie Tyng Griswold
Olivier-Rolland limns this dream of his youth, designing upon his literary canvas the picture of his own life.
Romain RollandStefan Zweig
The poem is also given in The Golden Treasury, p. 37; where, however, 'limns the water' is changed into 'limns on water.'
Life Of Johnson, Volume 5Boswell
limn
- to represent in drawing or painting
- archaic to describe in words
- an obsolete word for illuminate
Word Origin for limn
Word Origin and History for limns
limn
early 15c., "to illuminate" (manuscripts), altered from Middle English luminen, "to illuminate manuscripts" (late 14c.), from Old French luminer "light up, illuminate," from Latin luminare "illuminate, burnish," from lumen (genitive luminis) "radiant energy, light," related to lucere "to shine" (see light (n.)). Sense of "portray, depict" first recorded 1590s. Related: Limned.