cartoon means A humorous drawing, often with a caption, or a strip of such drawings. Lexicurio rates it Distinctive — a strength score of 69 out of 100.
cartoon is pronounced /kɑːˈtuːn/.
Etymology
In British English first, from French carton (“sketch, cardboard, card”), from Italian cartone (“cardboard, carton, box”), augmentative of carta (“paper”), from Latin carta (“papyrus, paper”), from Ancient Greek χάρτης (khártēs) (see there for further etymology). Doublet of carton and card.
noun
- A humorous drawing, often with a caption, or a strip of such drawings.
- A drawing satirising current public figures.“The newspaper published a political cartoon mocking the mayor.”
- An artist's preliminary sketch.
- A full-sized drawing that serves as the template for a fresco, a tapestry, etc.
- An animated piece of film which is often but not exclusively humorous.“The children watched a funny cartoon on TV.”
- A cartoon series.“12 July 2012, Sam Adams, AV Club Ice Age: Continental Drift
The matter of whether the world needs a fourth Ice Age movie pales beside the question of why there were three before it, but Continental Drift feels less like an extension of a theatrical franchise than an episode of a middling TV cartoon, lolling around on territory that’s already been settled.”
verb
- To draw a cartoon, a humorous drawing.
- To make a preliminary sketch.