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paintbrush

American  
[peynt-bruhsh] / ˈpeɪntˌbrʌʃ /

noun

  1. a brush for applying paint, as one used in painting painting houses or one used in painting painting pictures.

  2. any plant of the genus Castilleja.

paintbrush British  
/ ˈpeɪntˌbrʌʃ /

noun

  1. a brush used to apply paint

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of paintbrush

First recorded in 1820–30; paint + brush 1

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.

It's something that I just evolved into doing and I use my eyelash as a paintbrush.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

During his time in jail, Tejero also swapped his pistol for a paintbrush, taking up art classes that saw him produce nearly 300 artworks, El Pais newspaper reported.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

Everybody that’s raised a hammer or a paintbrush deserves it.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2025

You can also use a pastry brush or a clean, unused paintbrush to dust off the surfaces.

From Salon • Mar. 22, 2025

What Liang wished for most was a paintbrush.

From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin

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.