limn
limn — verb
- limnpresent simple I / you / we / they
- limns3rd person singular
- limning-ing form
- limnedpast simple
1. to make a detailed picture of someone or something, especially by hand on paper
to make a detailed picture of someone or something, especially by hand on paper or canvas.
Yael limned the old fisherman's face with quick pencil strokes.
limn + a person as object (a face), drawing context
The young artist limned the castle ruins against a grey sky.
Jabari limned a map of the village on the cave wall.
With a fine brush, Manuela limned each petal of the rose.
The court painter was hired to limn the queen in oils.
文法句型
limn + object
limn + object + in + medium
用法筆記
Chiefly literary or old-fashioned; in everyday English, 'draw' or 'paint' is used instead.
常見錯誤
2. to capture a person, place, or feeling in writing, film, or music so clearly tha
to capture a person, place, or feeling in writing, film, or music so clearly that readers or listeners can picture it.
Hiro's novel limns the slow decline of a small fishing town.
subject is a creative work (novel); limn + abstract object
The documentary limns the daily life of street vendors in Manila.
Romi's poem limns long, lazy summers spent beside the warm sea.
In her memoir, Élise limns the hardships of wartime Paris.
The song limns a lonely traveller crossing the desert at night.
文法句型
limn + object
用法筆記
Subject is usually a creative work (novel, film, song); the object is often an abstract mood, era, or character rather than a physical thing.
3. (of light) to reveal an object's outline by shining softly along its edges.
(of light) to reveal an object's outline by shining softly along its edges.
The morning sun limned the mountain peaks in soft gold.
(of light) limn + the edges of [an object]
Candlelight limned Meera's face as she read by the fire.
a light source as subject: limn + a person's face
A full moon limned the rooftops of the sleeping village.
Streetlamps limned the wet pavement where Walid waited for the bus.
The campfire limned the children's faces as Lakan told ghost stories.
- outline
plain and common; no need for light as the subject
- silhouette
shows a dark shape against a bright background
文法句型
limn + object
用法筆記
Almost always has a light source as its subject (sun, moon, candlelight) and appears in literary description.