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cartoon

noun, often attributive
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car·​toon | \ kär-ˈtün How to pronounce cartoon (audio) \

Definition of cartoon

1 : a preparatory design, drawing, or painting (as for a fresco)
2a : a drawing intended as satire, caricature, or humor a political cartoon
b : comic strip
3 : animated cartoon
4 : a ludicrously simplistic, unrealistic, or one-dimensional portrayal or version the film's villain is an entertaining cartoon
Other Words from cartoon Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about cartoon

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Other Words from cartoon

cartoon verb
cartooning \ kär-​ˈtü-​niŋ How to pronounce cartooning (audio) \ noun
cartoonish \ kär-​ˈtü-​nish How to pronounce cartoonish (audio) \ adjective
cartoonishly adverb
cartoonist \ kär-​ˈtü-​nist How to pronounce cartoonist (audio) \ noun
cartoonlike \ kär-​ˈtün-​ˌlīk How to pronounce cartoonlike (audio) \ adjective
cartoony \ kär-​ˈtü-​nē How to pronounce cartoony (audio) \ adjective

Examples of cartoon in a Sentence

She enjoys reading the cartoons in the Sunday paper. The kids are watching cartoons.
Recent Examples on the Web The giant cartoon-character balloons will be flown without the traditional 80 to 100 rope-pulling handlers assigned to each inflatable and will instead be tethered to specialized vehicles. — Mark Kennedy, USA TODAY, "A pandemic isn't stopping the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, but keeps crowds away and balloons distant," 26 Nov. 2020 The giant cartoon-character balloons will be flown without the traditional 80 to 100 rope-pulling handlers assigned to each inflatable and will instead be tethered to specialized vehicles. — Arkansas Online, "Macy's parade still to roll in NYC," 26 Nov. 2020 The giant cartoon-character balloons will be flown without the traditional 80 to 100 rope-pulling handlers assigned to each inflatable and will instead be tethered to specialized vehicles. — Mark Kennedy, Star Tribune, "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to march on despite pandemic," 25 Nov. 2020 The giant cartoon-character balloons will be flown without the traditional 80 to 100 rope-pulling handlers assigned to each inflatable and will instead be tethered to specialized vehicles. — Mark Kennedy, chicagotribune.com, "Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to march on despite pandemic: ‘Traditions like this are comforting and they’re uplifting’," 25 Nov. 2020 The giant cartoon-character balloons will be flown without the traditional 80 to 100 rope-pulling handlers assigned to each inflatable and will instead be tethered to specialized vehicles. — Author: Mark Kennedy, Anchorage Daily News, "Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to march on despite pandemic," 25 Nov. 2020 The sculpture, which once had human-like features, now looks like a cartoon character. — Caitlin O'kane, CBS News, "A botched statue in Spain is gaining global attention," 12 Nov. 2020 What was once the bust of a smiling woman now looks more like the head of a cartoon character. — Fox News, "Sculpture restoration work draws laughs, memories in Spain," 12 Nov. 2020 This was named after a lumpy 1940s cartoon character that happened to resemble these appendages. — Ilana E. Strauss, The Atlantic, "The Sex Lives of Single-Celled Organisms," 11 Nov. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cartoon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of cartoon

1671, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for cartoon

Italian cartone pasteboard, cartoon, augmentative of carta leaf of paper — more at card entry 1

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Time Traveler for cartoon

Time Traveler

The first known use of cartoon was in 1671

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Statistics for cartoon

Last Updated

3 Dec 2020

Cite this Entry

“Cartoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cartoon. Accessed 5 Dec. 2020.

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More Definitions for cartoon

cartoon

noun
How to pronounce cartoon (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of cartoon

: a drawing in a newspaper or magazine intended as a humorous comment on something
: a series of drawings that tell a story
: a film or television show made by photographing a series of drawings : an animated film or television show

See the full definition for cartoon in the English Language Learners Dictionary

cartoon

noun
car·​toon | \ kär-ˈtün How to pronounce cartoon (audio) \

Kids Definition of cartoon

1 : a movie or television program made by photographing a series of drawings
2 : a drawing (as in a newspaper) making people or objects look funny or foolish
3 : comic strip

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More from Merriam-Webster on cartoon

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for cartoon

Nglish: Translation of cartoon for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of cartoon for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cartoon

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