painter meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

painter

noun

UK /ˈpeɪntə/ · US /ˈpeɪntɚ/

Etymology Inherited from Middle English peyntour, from Old French peintor, equivalent to paint + -er.

An artist who paints pictures.

A laborer or workman who paints surfaces using a paintbrush or other means.

Derived terms: action painter, dialpainter, field painter, fingerpainter, housepainter, house painter, lazy painter, nonpainter, painterish, painterless, painterlike, painterly, painter's colic, paintership, painter-stainer, paintery, paintress, paintrix, shank-painter, signpainter, Sunday painter, word painter

noun

Etymology Probably from Middle French pendeur.

Obsolete A chain or rope used to attach the shank of an anchor to the side of a ship when not in use.

Nautical, Transport A rope that is attached to the bow of a dinghy, or other small boat, and used for tying up or towing.

"Shove that [fat, wicker luncheon-basket] under your feet," he observed to the Mole, as he passed it down into the boat. Then he untied the painter and took the sculls again.1908, Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows:
The dinghy was trailing astern at the end of its painter, and Merrion looked at it as he passed. He saw that it was a battered-looking affair of the prahm type, with a blunt snout, and like the parent ship, had recently been painted a vivid green.1944, Miles Burton, chapter 5, in The Three Corpse Trick:

1 more example

Back at the water’s edge, Delbert realised something else. The number of steps had diminished by one, and the little boat was floating more freely to its painter.1980, Robert Aickman, “No Time Is Passing”, in Intrusions:

noun

Etymology From a variation of panther, paralleling other Southern pronunciations for can't and aunt (see ain't for more details).

Southern US A mountain lion.

I have fou't most of the creatur's of the forest, such as bears, wolves, painters and catamounts, but this is the beginning with the red-skins.1893, James Fenimore Cooper, The Deerslayer:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.