Word of the Day

: October 13, 2009

limn

verb LIM

What It Means

1 : to draw or paint on a surface

2 : to outline in clear sharp detail : delineate

3 : describe

limn in Context

In her novel, Deborah limns a vivid picture of life in the rural America of the 1950s.

Did You Know?

Allow us to shed some light on the history of "limn," a word with lustrous origins. "Limn" traces to the Middle French verb "enluminer" and ultimately to the Latin "illuminare," which means "to illuminate." Its use as an English verb dates from the days of Middle English; at first, "limn" referred to the action of illuminating (that is, decorating) medieval manuscripts with gold, silver, or brilliant colors. William Shakespeare extended the term to painting in his poem Venus and Adonis: "Look when a painter would surpass the life / In limning out a well-proportioned steed . . . ."