blueprint

American  

[bloo-print] / ˈbluˌprɪnt /

noun

1. a process of photographic printing, printing, used chiefly in copying architectural and mechanical drawings, which produces a white line on a blue background.

2. a print made by this process.

3. a detailed outline or plan of action.

   a blueprint for success.

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verb (used with object)

1. to make a blueprint of or for.

blueprint British  

/ ˈbluːˌprɪnt /

noun

1. Also called: cyanotype.  a photographic print of plans, technical drawings, etc, consisting of white lines on a blue background

2. an original plan or prototype that influences subsequent design or practice

   the Montessori method was the blueprint for education in the 1940s

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verb

1. (tr) to make a blueprint of (a plan)

Other Word Forms

• blueprinter noun

Etymology

Origin of blueprint

First recorded in 1885–90; blue + print

Example Sentences

My boss in London usually called me right after the daily reporters’ meeting, which drew up a blueprint for the day’s coverage.

From Salon

When placed at an injury site, the remaining cartilage structure can act like a blueprint that helps the body rebuild damaged bone step by step.

From Science Daily

Redemption, the human relation to the world, is less a utopian blueprint than the communal work of binding isolated lives into a human “we,” through acts of repair and acts of love.

From The Wall Street Journal

At the National People’s Congress, representatives are expected to approve a five-year economic blueprint that will prioritize turning China into a technological superpower.

From The Wall Street Journal

The national strategy launched last year - known as Digital Ethiopia 2030 - is the government's blueprint for digitising public services, from identity systems and payments to courts and public administration.

From BBC

Related Words

• draft
• game plan
• master plan
• model
• prototype
• scheme
• sketch