picture
♦♦ pic|ture /p'ɪktʃər/ (pictures picturing pictured)
1 [N-COUNT]
A picture consists of lines and shapes which are drawn, painted, or printed on a surface and show a person, thing, or scene.
A picture of Rory O'Moore hangs in the dining room at Kildangan.
2 [N-COUNT]
A picture is a photograph.
The tourists have nothing to do but take pictures of each other...
3 [N-COUNT] usu pl
Television pictures are the scenes which you see on a television screen.
...heartrending television pictures of human suffering.
4 [VERB] usu passive, be V-ed, be V-ed -ing, V-ed
To be pictured somewhere, for example in a newspaper or magazine, means to appear in a photograph or picture.
The golfer is pictured on many of the front pages, kissing his trophy as he holds it aloft.
...a woman who claimed she had been pictured dancing with a celebrity in Stringfellows nightclub...
The rattan and wrought-iron chair pictured here costs £125.
5 [N-COUNT]
You can refer to a film as a picture.
...a director of epic action pictures.
6 [N-PLURAL] the N
If you go to the pictures, you go to a cinema to see a film. (BRIT; in AM, use the movies)
We're going to the pictures tonight...
= cinema
7 [N-COUNT] oft N of n
If you have a picture of something in your mind, you have a clear idea or memory of it in your mind as if you were actually seeing it.
We are just trying to get our picture of the whole afternoon straight...
= image
8 [VERB] V n prep, V n -ing, V n
If you picture something in your mind, you think of it and have such a clear memory or idea of it that you seem to be able to see it.
He pictured her with long black braided hair...
He pictured Claire sitting out in the car, waiting for him...
I tried to picture the place, but could not.
= imagine
9 [N-COUNT] usu sing, with supp
A picture of something is a description of it or an indication of what it is like.
I'll try and give you a better picture of what the boys do...
10 [N-SING] oft the N
When you refer to the picture in a particular place, you are referring to the situation there.
It's a similar picture across the border in Ethiopia.
= situation
11 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you get the picture, you understand the situation, especially one which someone is describing to you.
Luke never tells you the whole story, but you always get the picture.
= get the idea
12 [PHRASE] v-link PHR, PHR after v
If you say that someone is in the picture, you mean that they are involved in the situation that you are talking about. If you say that they are out of the picture, you mean that they are not involved in the situation.
Meyerson is back in the picture after disappearing in July...
13 [PHRASE] v-link PHR
You use picture to describe what someone looks like. For example, if you say that someone is a picture of health or the picture of misery, you mean that they look extremely healthy or extremely miserable.
We found her standing on a chair, the picture of terror, screaming hysterically.
14 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you put someone in the picture, you tell them about a situation which they need to know about.
Has Inspector Fayard put you in the picture?mo|tion pic|ture (motion pictures)
[N-COUNT]
A motion picture is a film made for cinema. (mainly AM)
It was there that I saw my first motion picture.
= moviemov|ing pic|ture (moving pictures)
[N-COUNT]
A moving picture is a film. (OLD-FASHIONED)pic|ture book (picture books)
also picture-book
[N-COUNT]
A picture book is a book with a lot of pictures in and not much writing. Many picture books are intended for children.pic|ture li|brary (picture libraries)
[N-COUNT] oft in names
A picture library is a collection of photographs that is held by a particular company or organization. Newspapers or publishers can pay to use the photographs in their publications.pic|ture mes|sag|ing
[N-UNCOUNT] oft N n
Picture messaging is the sending of photographs or pictures from one mobile phone to another.
...picture messaging on camera phones.
...a picture messaging service.pic|ture post|card (picture postcards)
The spelling picture-postcard is also used for meaning 2.
1 [N-COUNT]
A picture postcard is a postcard with a photograph of a place on it. People often buy picture postcards of places they visit when on holiday.
2 [ADJ] ADJ n
You can use picture postcard to describe a place that is very attractive.
...picture-postcard Normandy villages.
= picturesquepic|ture rail (picture rails)
also picture-rail
[N-COUNT]
A picture rail is a continuous narrow piece of wood which is fixed round a room just below the ceiling. Pictures can be hung from it using string and hooks. (mainly BRIT)pic|ture show (picture shows)
[N-COUNT]
A picture show is a film or cinema. (AM OLD-FASHIONED)pic|ture win|dow (picture windows)
[N-COUNT]
A picture window is a window containing one large sheet of glass, so that people have a good view of what is outside.
1 [N-COUNT]
A picture consists of lines and shapes which are drawn, painted, or printed on a surface and show a person, thing, or scene.
A picture of Rory O'Moore hangs in the dining room at Kildangan.
2 [N-COUNT]
A picture is a photograph.
The tourists have nothing to do but take pictures of each other...
3 [N-COUNT] usu pl
Television pictures are the scenes which you see on a television screen.
...heartrending television pictures of human suffering.
4 [VERB] usu passive, be V-ed, be V-ed -ing, V-ed
To be pictured somewhere, for example in a newspaper or magazine, means to appear in a photograph or picture.
The golfer is pictured on many of the front pages, kissing his trophy as he holds it aloft.
...a woman who claimed she had been pictured dancing with a celebrity in Stringfellows nightclub...
The rattan and wrought-iron chair pictured here costs £125.
5 [N-COUNT]
You can refer to a film as a picture.
...a director of epic action pictures.
6 [N-PLURAL] the N
If you go to the pictures, you go to a cinema to see a film. (BRIT; in AM, use the movies)
We're going to the pictures tonight...
= cinema
7 [N-COUNT] oft N of n
If you have a picture of something in your mind, you have a clear idea or memory of it in your mind as if you were actually seeing it.
We are just trying to get our picture of the whole afternoon straight...
= image
8 [VERB] V n prep, V n -ing, V n
If you picture something in your mind, you think of it and have such a clear memory or idea of it that you seem to be able to see it.
He pictured her with long black braided hair...
He pictured Claire sitting out in the car, waiting for him...
I tried to picture the place, but could not.
= imagine
9 [N-COUNT] usu sing, with supp
A picture of something is a description of it or an indication of what it is like.
I'll try and give you a better picture of what the boys do...
10 [N-SING] oft the N
When you refer to the picture in a particular place, you are referring to the situation there.
It's a similar picture across the border in Ethiopia.
= situation
11 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you get the picture, you understand the situation, especially one which someone is describing to you.
Luke never tells you the whole story, but you always get the picture.
= get the idea
12 [PHRASE] v-link PHR, PHR after v
If you say that someone is in the picture, you mean that they are involved in the situation that you are talking about. If you say that they are out of the picture, you mean that they are not involved in the situation.
Meyerson is back in the picture after disappearing in July...
13 [PHRASE] v-link PHR
You use picture to describe what someone looks like. For example, if you say that someone is a picture of health or the picture of misery, you mean that they look extremely healthy or extremely miserable.
We found her standing on a chair, the picture of terror, screaming hysterically.
14 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you put someone in the picture, you tell them about a situation which they need to know about.
Has Inspector Fayard put you in the picture?mo|tion pic|ture (motion pictures)
[N-COUNT]
A motion picture is a film made for cinema. (mainly AM)
It was there that I saw my first motion picture.
= moviemov|ing pic|ture (moving pictures)
[N-COUNT]
A moving picture is a film. (OLD-FASHIONED)pic|ture book (picture books)
also picture-book
[N-COUNT]
A picture book is a book with a lot of pictures in and not much writing. Many picture books are intended for children.pic|ture li|brary (picture libraries)
[N-COUNT] oft in names
A picture library is a collection of photographs that is held by a particular company or organization. Newspapers or publishers can pay to use the photographs in their publications.pic|ture mes|sag|ing
[N-UNCOUNT] oft N n
Picture messaging is the sending of photographs or pictures from one mobile phone to another.
...picture messaging on camera phones.
...a picture messaging service.pic|ture post|card (picture postcards)
The spelling picture-postcard is also used for meaning 2.
1 [N-COUNT]
A picture postcard is a postcard with a photograph of a place on it. People often buy picture postcards of places they visit when on holiday.
2 [ADJ] ADJ n
You can use picture postcard to describe a place that is very attractive.
...picture-postcard Normandy villages.
= picturesquepic|ture rail (picture rails)
also picture-rail
[N-COUNT]
A picture rail is a continuous narrow piece of wood which is fixed round a room just below the ceiling. Pictures can be hung from it using string and hooks. (mainly BRIT)pic|ture show (picture shows)
[N-COUNT]
A picture show is a film or cinema. (AM OLD-FASHIONED)pic|ture win|dow (picture windows)
[N-COUNT]
A picture window is a window containing one large sheet of glass, so that people have a good view of what is outside.