cartoon
kah-TOON
Cartoon (noun) means a humorous or satirical drawing, often with a caption. Example: “Her cartoon of a worried cat sitting on a calculator made everyone laugh.”
noun
1
A humorous or satirical drawing, often with a caption.
"Her cartoon of a worried cat sitting on a calculator made everyone laugh."
"The magazine runs a weekly cartoon on its back page."
"The newspaper printed a cartoon mocking the new tax policy."
2
An animated film or television show.
"My nephew's favourite cartoon is about a talking train."
"The kids watched cartoons every Saturday morning."
"The animation studio released a new cartoon aimed at teenagers."
verb
1
To draw in a cartoon style, or to caricature.
"She cartoons her teachers in the margins of her notebook."
"The artist cartooned the mayor with an enormous nose and tiny hat."
"He cartooned local politicians for the college paper."
How to use cartoon
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA humorous drawing or an animated show.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
watch cartoons
draw a cartoon
political cartoon
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Word forms
- Plural
- cartoons
- Third person singular
- cartoons
- Past tense
- cartooned
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Her _____ of a worried cat sitting on a calculator made everyone laugh.
Etymology
From French carton, ultimately from Italian cartone ("large sheet of paper"). It originally meant an artist's full-size preparatory sketch, later coming to mean a comic drawing.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for cartoon
See all rhymes for cartoon →Frequently asked questions
What does “cartoon” mean?
The word “cartoon” means a humorous or satirical drawing, often with a caption. In plain terms, a humorous drawing or an animated show.
How do you pronounce “cartoon”?
“Cartoon” is pronounced kah-TOON (/kɑɹˈtun/ in IPA).
How do you use “cartoon” in a sentence?
Here is “cartoon” used in a sentence: “The newspaper printed a cartoon mocking the new tax policy.”
What part of speech is “cartoon”?
Depending on how it is used, “cartoon” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “cartoon” come from?
The word “cartoon” comes from French. From French carton, ultimately from Italian cartone ("large sheet of paper"). It originally meant an artist's full-size preparatory sketch, later coming to mean a comic drawing.
Is “cartoon” a common word?
“Cartoon” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “cartoon” have?
“Cartoon” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a humorous or satirical drawing, often with a caption.
What is the difference between a cartoon and anime?
Cartoon is the broad English word for an animated film or show, as well as for a humorous drawing. Anime refers specifically to animation from Japan or made in the distinctive Japanese style; in English usage, all anime is animation, but not every cartoon is anime.
What is the difference between a cartoon and a comic?
A cartoon in print is typically a single humorous or satirical drawing, often with a caption. A comic or comic strip tells a story through a sequence of drawn panels, so a one-panel gag is a cartoon while a multi-panel sequence is a strip.
What is a political cartoon?
A political cartoon is a satirical drawing that comments on politicians, policies, or current events, usually through caricature and symbolism and often with a caption. It belongs to the original sense of cartoon as a humorous or satirical drawing rather than an animated film.
Why is a preparatory drawing in art called a cartoon?
In fine art, a cartoon is a full-size preparatory drawing made for a painting, fresco, or tapestry — the word's original English sense, taken from an Italian term for a large sheet of paper. The meaning later shifted to humorous drawings in print and eventually to animated films.
