outline
Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word outline. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word outline, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say outline in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word outline you have here. The definition of the word outline will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofoutline, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
Pronunciation
Noun
outline (plural outlines)
- A line marking the boundary of an object figure.
- The outer shape of an object or figure.
- 1950 March, H. A. Vallance, “On Foot Across the Forth Bridge”, in Railway Magazine, page 149:
- From this point of vantage, we were able to gain an impression of the massive outlines of the main structure, and its intricate maze of girders.
- A sketch or drawing in which objects are delineated in contours without shading.
- 1695, C A du Fresnoy, translated by John Dryden, De Arte Graphica. The Art of Painting, , London: J Heptinstall for W. Rogers, , →OCLC:
- Painters, by their outlines, colours, lights, and shadows, represent the same in their pictures.
- A general description of some subject.
- A statement summarizing the important points of a text.
- A preliminary plan for a project.
- the outline of a speech
- (film) A prose telling of a story intended to be turned into a screenplay; generally longer and more detailed than a treatment.
- (fishing) A setline or trotline.
Translations
line marking the boundary of an object figure
|
outer shape of an object or figure
|
sketch or drawing in which objects are delineated in contours without shading
|
general description of some subject
|
statement summarizing the important points of a text
|
preliminary plan of a project
|
(film industry) a prose telling of a story intended to be turned into a screenplay
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
See also
Verb
outline (third-person singular simple present outlines, present participle outlining, simple past and past participle outlined)
- (transitive) To draw an outline of.
- 1963, Margery Allingham, “Foreword”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
- He stood transfixed before the unaccustomed view of London at night time, a vast panorama which reminded him […] of some wood engravings far off and magical, in a printshop in his childhood. They dated from the previous century and were coarsely printed on tinted paper, with tinsel outlining the design.
- (transitive) To summarize.
- Wikipedia items featuring books usually outline them after giving their background.
- 1907 August, Robert W Chambers, chapter VIII, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
- At her invitation he outlined for her the succeeding chapters with terse military accuracy ; and what she liked best and best understood was avoidance of that false modesty which condescends, turning technicality into pabulum.
- (transitive, software compilation) To optimize for size by replacing repeated code fragments with function calls.
Translations
to draw an outline of something
|
to summarize something
|
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked