sketch Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun preliminary drawing for later elaboration
study.
- he made several studies before starting to paint
noun a brief literary description
vignette.
noun short descriptive summary (of events)
survey; resume.
noun a humorous or satirical drawing published in a newspaper or magazine
cartoon.
verb make a sketch of
chalk out.
- sketch the building
verb describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of
outline; adumbrate.
- sketch the outline of the book
- outline his ideas

D. schets, fr. It. schizzo a sketch, a splash (whence also F. esquisse; cf. Esquisse.); cf. It. schizzare to splash, to sketch.

An outline or general delineation of anything; a first rough or incomplete draught or plan of any design; especially, in the fine arts, such a representation of an object or scene as serves the artist's purpose by recording its chief features; also, a preliminary study for an original work. Syn. -- Outline; delineation; draught; plan; design. -- Sketch, Outline, Delineation. An outline gives only the bounding lines of some scene or picture. A sketch fills up the outline in part, giving broad touches, by which an imperfect idea may be conveyed. A delineation goes further, carrying out the more striking features of the picture, and going so much into detail as to furnish a clear conception of the whole. Figuratively, we may speak of the outlines of a plan, of a work, of a project, etc., which serve as a basis on which the subordinate parts are formed, or of sketches of countries, characters, manners, etc., which give us a general idea of the things described. Crabb.

Cf D. schetsen, It. schizzare. See Sketch, n.

imperfect & past participle Sketched ; present participle & verbal noun Sketching

To draw the outline or chief features of; to make a rought of.
To plan or describe by giving the principal points or ideas of. Syn. -- To delineate; design; draught; depict.