sketch
- a simply or hastily executed drawing or painting, especially a preliminary one, giving the essential features without the details.
- a rough design, plan, or draft, as of a book.
- a brief or hasty outline of facts, occurrences, etc.: a sketch of his life.
- a short, usually descriptive, essay, history, or story.
- a short play or slight dramatic performance, as one forming part of a vaudeville program.
- to make a sketch of.
- to set forth in a brief or general account: He sketched his own part in the affair.
- Metallurgy. (in a steel mill or the like) to mark (a piece) for cutting.
- to make a sketch or sketches.
Origin of sketch
Synonyms
See more synonyms for sketch on Thesaurus.comSynonym study
Examples from the Web for sketching
Contemporary Examples
However, on other issues, she still was sketching out her positions.
The designer, who is often considered one of the last great couturiers, jokes that he could have kept on sketching forever.
On the first two, look for tone: is Obama preparing for a streetfight, or sketching the outlines of a deal?
A TV pilot for HBO, and a book of stories that I'm just now sketching out.
There are now so many demands on a designer that have nothing to do with sketching and draping.
Historical Examples
Betty fumbled with her sketching things as a sort of guarantee of good faith.
The Incomplete AmoristE. Nesbit
Meanwhile, he went on sketching her face, studying it with care.
His MasterpieceEmile Zola
Over the keys her fingers moved, sketching a melody, passing from it into another.
The Paliser caseEdgar Saltus
When he was not sketching, he was playing chess with the Captain.
The Confessions of a Caricaturist, Vol 2 (of 2)Harry Furniss
Lessons should be given in sketching, painting, drawing, and casting.
sketch
- a rapid drawing or painting, often a study for subsequent elaboration
- a brief usually descriptive and informal essay or other literary composition
- a short play, often comic, forming part of a revue
- a short evocative piece of instrumental music, esp for piano
- any brief outline
- to make a rough drawing (of)
- (tr often foll by out) to make a brief description of
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for sketching
sketch
n.
"rough drawing intended to serve as the basis for a finished picture," 1660s, from Dutch schets or Low German skizze, both apparently 17c. artists' borrowings from Italian schizzo "sketch, drawing," which is commonly said to be from Latin *schedius (OED compares schedia "raft," schedium "an extemporaneous poem"), from or related to Greek skhedios "temporary, extemporaneous, done or made off-hand," related to skhema "form, shape, appearance" (see scheme (n.)). But according to Barnhart Italian schizzo is a special use of schizzo "a splash, squirt," from schizzare "to splash or squirt," of uncertain origin.
Extended sense of "brief account" is from 1660s; meaning "short play or performance, usually comic" is from 1789. Sketch-book recorded from 1820. German Skizze, French esquisse, Spanish esquicio are likewise from Italian schizzo.
sketch
v.
1690s, "present the essential facts of," from sketch (n.). Meaning "draw, portray in outline and partial shading" is from 1725. Related: Sketched; sketcher; sketching.