paint
paint — noun
1. a colored liquid that you put on walls, doors, and other surfaces so they change
a colored liquid that you put on walls, doors, and other surfaces so they change color and are often protected after it dries
We chose white paint for the kitchen walls last weekend.
noun: paint for walls
Fresh paint on the bench stuck to Owen's school trousers.
collocation: fresh paint
The old gate needs a new coat of paint before winter.
Lina spilled green paint across the newspaper under the chair.
文法句型
paint for walls or doors
a coat of paint
fresh or wet paint
用法筆記
Often uncountable when you mean the substance in general. It becomes countable in phrases like 'a coat of paint' when you mean one layer after it dries.
2. colors in tubes, pans, or blocks that people use for making pictures
colors in tubes, pans, or blocks that people use for making pictures
Mila set her paints beside the window before art class.
usual plural: paints
The box of paints had one bright orange pan missing.
phrase: box of paints
Sam bought water paints for his first school picture.
These paints dry fast, so Nora cleaned the brush early.
- watercolors
paints mixed with water, often sold in small pans
- acrylics
a modern type of artists' paint that dries quickly
- oils
artists' paints that dry more slowly and are often richer in texture
文法句型
a box of paints
buy paints for art class
paints in tubes or pans
用法筆記
This sense is often plural because people talk about several colors or several tubes together. Distinguish from sense 1, which usually means house paint for covering a surface.
常見錯誤
3. colored makeup that is put on the face or body
colored makeup that is put on the face or body
The dancer's red paint was still on her cheeks at dinner.
makeup sense: paint on the cheeks
Stage paint made Ben look much older under the school lights.
collocation: stage paint
Maya washed the blue paint from her face after the parade.
The clown kept extra paint in a small tin backstage.
- makeup
the broad everyday word for cosmetics in general
- face paint
usually used for designs, costumes, or games
- blush
only the colored makeup put on the cheeks
文法句型
face paint
stage paint
paint on the cheeks
用法筆記
This sense appears when the context is makeup, a costume, or a performance. Distinguish from sense 1, where the paint is for walls, wood, or other objects.
4. the marked rectangular area under the basket in basketball
the marked rectangular area under the basket in basketball
The center caught the pass deep in the paint and scored.
phrase: in the paint
Coach told the guards to drive into the paint early.
pattern: drive into the paint
Two defenders crowded the paint after the rebound bounced loose.
No one boxed out, so their team lost control of the paint.
- lane
a short common name for the same court area
- key
another basketball term, sometimes covering a slightly wider shape description
- free-throw lane
a more formal full name for the area
文法句型
in the paint
drive into the paint
control the paint
用法筆記
Used only in basketball. It often appears with the article in phrases like 'in the paint' or 'protect the paint'.
paint — verb
1. to put paint on a wall, object, or other surface, or to cover it with a new colo
to put paint on a wall, object, or other surface, or to cover it with a new color
Ethan painted the front door bright red before New Year.
object + adjective: paint the door red
Workers painted over the old sign outside the train station.
pattern: paint over + surface
On Saturday, we painted the fence while our dog slept nearby.
Grandma paints slowly, using a small brush for each window frame.
The landlord painted the bedroom after the last tenant moved out.
- strip
to remove the old paint from a surface
- scrape off
to take paint away instead of adding it
文法句型
paint a wall, fence, or door
paint something + color
paint over + old mark or surface
用法筆記
This is the only main sense that freely takes an object plus a result color, as in 'paint the wall blue'. Distinguish from sense 2, where the object is the person or scene shown in the picture, not the surface receiving paint.
常見錯誤
2. to create a picture with paints, or to show a person or scene in a painted pictu
to create a picture with paints, or to show a person or scene in a painted picture
Nora painted a quiet beach from her family trip to Kenting.
transitive: paint a scene
After lunch, the children painted at the long table outside.
intransitive use: the children painted
Mr. Lin painted his dog sleeping under the orange tree.
Ada likes to paint late at night when the house is still.
文法句型
paint a picture, portrait, or scene
paint somebody or something
paint at home or in class
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: here the object is what appears in the picture, not the board, wall, or cloth that receives the paint.
常見錯誤
3. to put colored makeup on your face, nails, or another body part
to put colored makeup on your face, nails, or another body part
Jill painted her nails dark green before the concert.
pattern: paint your nails + color
The actor painted his face white for the ghost scene.
pattern: paint your face + color
Before the parade, Rosa painted stars on both cheeks.
The team painted the children's arms in school colors.
文法句型
paint your nails
paint your face
paint a design on the skin
用法筆記
The object is usually a body part such as nails, face, lips, or arms. Unlike sense 1, the color or design is cosmetic rather than part of a house or object.