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

The then-22-year-old actress played Cora, a beautiful Queenslander and muse of Australian painter Bradley Morahan (James Mason). —Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026

Variety is encouraged, and the exhibit aims to showcase a range of mediums, from painters to mixed-media artists and photographers. —Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 8 Jan. 2026

On an eminence at the heart of the sprawling property, the restaurant overlooks a painter’s delight of fields, woods, and distant hills, a mosaic of brown and gold on this cloudy late-fall day. —Claire Messud, Vogue, 8 Jan. 2026

The painter of Girl with a Pearl Earring had a special interest in the town where he was born at the height of the Dutch Baroque period in the mid-17th century. —Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Jan. 2026

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