limn

verb

ˈlim 

limned; limning

ˈli-miŋ,

ˈlim-niŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to draw or paint on a surface

The artist limned a portrait.

2

: to outline in clear sharp detail : delineate

he was limned by a streetlight

—Stephen Coonts

3

: describe

the novel limns the frontier life of the settlers

limner

ˈli-mər  ˈlim-nər 

noun

Did you know?

Allow us to shed some light on the history of limn, a word with lustrous origins. Limn traces to the Anglo-French verb aluminer and ultimately to the Latin illuminare, which means "to illuminate." Its use as an English verb dates from the days of Middle English; at first, limn referred to the action of illuminating (that is, decorating) medieval manuscripts with gold, silver, or brilliant colors. William Shakespeare extended the term to painting in his poem Venus and Adonis: "Look when a painter would surpass the life / In limning out a well-proportioned steed...."

Synonyms

• delineate
• depict
• describe
• draw
• image
• paint
• picture
• portray
• render
• set out
• sketch

Examples of limn in a Sentence

he limned the scene in the courtroom so perfectly I could practically see it

Recent Examples on the Web

Haring limned his oval head, the topknot above a receding hairline, a pair of prominent ears and eyes staring out from behind black-rimmed eyeglasses. —Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2023

The soft sunlight illuminates sturdy wood pews, limning swaying worshipers in white gold. —Aj Willingham, CNN, 15 Apr. 2023

Last Summer in the City seems to limn his own life: Like Calligarich, the novel’s protagonist, Leo Gazarra, leaves Milan for Rome and a writing job, and when that job disappears, spends his summer days at the beach and his nights drifting from party to party, woman to woman. —Vogue, 29 May 2021

The adjacent desperations of the Emory family are meant to limn the material and psychological effects of living under the threat of anti-Blackness in America. —Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Middle English limnen to illuminate (a manuscript), probably back-formation from lymnour illuminator, alteration of lumenur, from Anglo-French aluminer, enluminer to illuminate, ultimately from Latin illuminare

First Known Use

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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