portrait

Definition

A painting or other picture of a person, especially the head and shoulders.

Etymology

From Middle French portraict, pourtraict, nominal use of the past participle of portraire (“portray”), from Latin prōtrahō (< prō- + trahō). Compare typologically English drawing.

Example Sentences

• "In portraits, the grace, and, we may add, the likeness, consists more in the general air than in the exact similitude of every feature."
• "The author painted a good portrait of urban life in New York in his latest book."
• "She showed me her portrait, written by herself. I only remember what she states of her mouth, which, she says, was not only beautiful and red, but had a thousand little natural airs and graces not to be found in any other mouth. Oh, I must not forget her figure, which, she assured the reader, was the best-made and the finest that could be seen: nothing could be more regular, more graceful, or more easy."

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