portrait

  • 1PORTRAIT — Autrefois, le mot « portrait » évoquait une personne – homme, femme ou enfant –, figée dans une pose qu’il avait fallu « tenir » devant un artiste prenant des croquis dont ensuite il faisait soit une peinture, soit une sculpture ou une gravure… …

    Encyclopédie Universelle

  • 2portrait — portrait, aite 1. (por trè, trè t ) part. passé de portraire. •   Mais je reviens à vous, en qui je vois portraits De ses perfections les plus aimables traits, CORN. Veuve, V, 7. portrait 2. (por trè ; le t ne se prononce pas et ne se lie pas ;… …

    Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • 3Portrait — Por trait, n. [F., originally p. p. of portraire to portray. See {Portray}.] 1. The likeness of a person, painted, drawn, or engraved; commonly, a representation of the human face painted from real life. [1913 Webster] In portraits, the grace,… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 4portrait — UK US /ˈpɔːtreɪt/ adjective IT ► used to describe a computer document that is to be printed with the shorter side of the paper at the top and bottom: »The design was intended to be distributed in printed form, so the pages are laid out for… …

    Financial and business terms

  • 5portrait — late 14c. (in portreyture), from M.Fr. portrait, from O.Fr. portret (13c.), noun use of pp. of portraire to paint, depict (see PORTRAY (Cf. portray)) …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 6Portrait — Por trait, v. t. To portray; to draw. [Obs.] Spenser. [1913 Webster] …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 7Portrait — (fr., spr. Porträh), Abbildung eines wirklich lebenden Menschen, sowohl in plastischen Werken (Portraitstatuen, Portraitbüsten), als in Gemälden. Daher Portraitiren, ein P. zeichnen od. malen. Ein Maler, welcher P s zum Hauptgegenstand seiner… …

    Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • 8portrait — photograph, *image, effigy, statue, icon, mask …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 9portrait — [n] drawn representation; description account, characterization, depiction, figure, image, likeness, model, painting, photograph, picture, portraiture, portrayal, profile, silhouette, simulacrum, sketch, snapshot, spitting image*, vignette;… …

    New thesaurus

  • 10portrait — ► NOUN 1) an artistic representation of a person, especially one depicting only the face or head and shoulders. 2) a written or filmed description. 3) a format of printed matter which is higher than it is wide. Compare with LANDSCAPE(Cf.… …

    English terms dictionary