painted; painting; paints
1
a(1)
: to apply color, pigment, or paint to
(2)
: to color with a cosmetic
b(1)
: to apply with a movement resembling that used in painting
(2)
: to treat with a liquid by brushing or swabbing
paint the wound with iodine
2
a(1)
: to produce in lines and colors on a surface by applying pigments
(2)
: to depict by such lines and colors
b
: to decorate, adorn, or variegate by applying lines and colors
c
: to produce or evoke as if by painting
paints glowing pictures of the farm
3
: to touch up or cover over by or as if by painting
4
: to depict as having specified or implied characteristics
… believes there is a campaign … to paint him as a villain …—Craig Neff and Jill Lieber
plural paints
1
: the action of painting : something produced by painting
2
: makeup
especially
: a cosmetic to add color
3
a(1)
: a mixture of a pigment and a suitable liquid to form a closely adherent coating when spread on a surface in a thin coat
(2)
: the pigment used in this mixture especially when in the form of a cake
a box of paints
b
: an applied coating of paint
4
or paint horse
: a horse marked with patches of white and another color : pinto
specifically
: american paint horse
5
basketball
: one of the two 12- or 16-foot-wide marked rectangular areas on a court that extends from the baseline (see baseline sense 3) to the free throw line 15 feet in front of the backboard : free throw lane, key sense 10
—often used in the phrase in the paint
Emsbo's presence in the paint on both ends of the court is a game-changer.—Riya Khatod
see also hard in the paint
6
: color manipulation on a computer screen in a manner reminiscent of painting
—usually used before another noun
a paint program
Cite this Entry
“Paint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paint. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.
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