cartoon

[ kahr-toon ]

noun

1. a sketch or drawing, usually humorous, as in a newspaper or periodical, symbolizing, satirizing, or caricaturing some action, subject, or person of popular interest.
2. comic strip.
3. animated cartoon.
4. Fine Arts. a full-scale design for a picture, ornamental motif or pattern, or the like, to be transferred to a fresco, tapestry, etc.

adjective

1. resembling a cartoon or caricature:

   The novel is full of predictable, cartoon characters, never believable as real people.

verb (used with object)

1. to represent by a cartoon.

verb (used without object)

1. to draw cartoons.

cartoon

/ kɑːˈtuːn /

noun

1. a humorous or satirical drawing, esp one in a newspaper or magazine, concerning a topical event
2. Also calledcomic strip a sequence of drawings in a newspaper, magazine, etc, relating a comic or adventurous situation
3. See animated cartoon
4. a full-size preparatory sketch for a fresco, tapestry, mosaic, etc, from which the final work is traced or copied

Derived Forms

• carˈtoonist, noun

Other Words From

• car·toonish adjective
• car·toonist noun
• uncar·tooned adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cartoon¹

First recorded in 1665–75; from Italian cartone “pasteboard, stout paper, a drawing on such paper,” equivalent to cart(a) “paper” ( carte ) + -one augmentative suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of cartoon¹

C17: from Italian cartone pasteboard, sketch on stiff paper; see carton

Example Sentences

The goal of the original attraction was to be something of a cartoon sprung to life, and it did so by focusing only on “Song of the South’s” animated characters.

From Los Angeles Times

Argos has also gone for the same characters as last year - cartoon duo Connie the doll and Trevor the dinosaur.

From BBC

The genesis of “CoComelon” dates back to 2006, when commercial director Jay Jeon and his wife, a children’s book author, posted their first video to YouTube of a short cartoon played to music — alphabet-related animations that stemmed from videos they made to entertain their own sons.

From Los Angeles Times

Before the election, Atwood had tweeted on X an editorial cartoon that referenced "The Handmaid's Tale" in a hopeful fashion, in which women lined up and dressed in the oppressive handmaid's cloak and hood would emerge from the voting booth in modern attire.

From Salon

A disabled character from dark-humoured satire cartoon series South Park, he uses a wheelchair and can only shout his name, mainly loudly and uncontrollably.

From BBC

Related Words

• animation
• caricature
• comic strip
• drawing
• parody
• satire
• sketch