painter

1 of 3

noun (1)

paint·​er ˈpān-tər 

: one that paints: such as

a

: an artist who paints

b

: one who applies paint especially as an occupation

painter

2 of 3

noun (2)

pain·​ter ˈpān-tər 

: a line used for securing or towing a boat

painter

3 of 3

noun (3)

pain·​ter ˈpān-tər 

: cougar sense 1

Examples of painter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

There is a scientific aspect to this way of seeing and presenting the world, and that connects with the painter’s background as both a researcher and an artist. —Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2025

For centuries, painters had primed canvases, building up layers of thick pigment and glaze to create the illusion of luminosity and depth. —Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025

Jonathan Richardson the Elder apprenticed under John Riley, the court painter of English king William of Orange, and made a fine living as a portrait painter of various nobles and notables throughout the first half of the 1700s. —Literary Hub, 22 Dec. 2025

The painter is one of twelve artists featured in the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists 2026 calendar. —Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 22 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

Middle English paynter, probably from Middle French dialect (Normandy) pentoir, penteur clothesline, from pendre to hang — more at pendant

Noun (3)

alteration of panther

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

circa 1764, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing painter

• painter's colic

Rhymes for painter

• fainter

Kids Definition

painter

1 of 3 noun

paint·​er ˈpānt-ər 

: one that paints

especially : an artist who paints

painter

2 of 3 noun

pain·​ter

: a line used for attaching or towing a boat

painter

3 of 3 noun

pain·​ter

: cougar

Etymology

Noun

from paint (verb) and -er (noun suffix)

Noun

Middle English paynter "a line used for securing a boat," probably from early French pentoir, penteur "clothesline"

Noun

an altered form of panther