sketch

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of

   sketch the outline of the book

2. 2
   verb

   make a sketch of

   sketch the building

3. 3
   verb

   To make a brief, basic drawing.

   I usually sketch with a pen rather than a pencil.

4. 4
   verb

   To describe briefly and with very few details.

   He sketched the accident, sticking to the facts as they had happened.

5. 5
   noun

   A rapidly executed freehand drawing that is not intended as a finished work, often consisting of a multitude of overlapping lines.

   Orion hit a rabbit once; but though sore wounded it got to the bury, and, struggling in, the arrow caught the side of the hole and was drawn out.[…]. Ikey the blacksmith had forged us a spearhead after a sketch from a picture of a Greek warrior; and a rake-handle served as a shaft.

6. 6
   noun

   A brief description of a person or account of an incident; a general presentation or outline.

   I have to write a character sketch for a novel study.

7. 7
   noun

   A lookout; vigilant watch for something.

   to keep sketch

8. 8
   noun

   A humorous newspaper article summarizing political events, making heavy use of metaphor, paraphrase and caricature.

   A very capable journalist, he wrote the Parliamentary sketch for the Pall Mall and the Westminster Gazette for several years.

Etymology

From Dutch schets or German Skizze, from Italian schizzo, from Latin schedium, from Ancient Greek σχέδιος (skhédios, “made suddenly, off-hand”), from σχεδόν (skhedón, “near, nearby”), from ἔχω (ékhō, “to hold”). Compare scheme.