Definition of LIMN

limn

Verb

Verb Forms: limned, limning, limns

  • To depict or describe in words or art.
  • trace the shape of
  • make a portrait of
  • To draw or paint; to delineate.
  • To illuminate, as a manuscript; to decorate with gold or some other bright colour.

Examples

  • With careful tile placement, he could LIMN a victory on the Scrabble board.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English limnen, limyne, lymm, lymn, lymne (“to illuminate (a manuscript)”), a variant of luminen (“to illuminate (a manuscript)”), short form of enluminen (“to shed light on, illuminate; to enlighten; to make bright or clear; to give colour to; to illuminate (a manuscript); to depict, describe; to adorn or embellish with figures of speech or poetry; to make famous, glorious, or illustrious”), from Old French enluminer (“to brighten, light up; to give colour to; to illuminate (a manuscript)”), from Latin illūminō (“to brighten, light up; to adorn; to make conspicuous”), from il- (a variant of in- (prefix meaning ‘in, inside’)) + lūminō (“to brighten, illuminate; to reveal”) (from lūmen (“light; (poetic) brightness”) (from Proto-Indo-European *lewk- (“bright; to shine; to see”)) + -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs)).

Scrabble Score: 6

limn: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
limn: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
limn: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 9

limn: valid Words With Friends Word