sketch
UK[skɛtʃ]US[skɛtʃ]
n
A simple, quickly-made drawing that does not show much detail.
n
A short, humorous scene on television, in the theatre, etc.
n
A short written or spoken description.
v
To make a quick, simple drawing of something.
v
To give a general description or account of something, without details.
Etymology
The word 'sketch' entered English in the mid-17th century from the Dutch 'schets', which itself derived from the Italian 'schizzo', meaning 'a sketch' or 'a splash'. The Italian term traces back to the Latin 'schedium', meaning 'an extemporaneous poem', which originates from the Greek 'schedios', signifying 'done off-hand, extempore'. This etymological journey, from Greek 'impromptu' to Dutch 'preliminary drawing', perfectly captures the core modern meaning: a rough, spontaneous, or preliminary outline, whether in art, writing, or performance.
Analysis
The word 'sketch' is a simplex loanword from Dutch. It does not contain separable, meaningful morphemes within its modern English spelling.
Examples
The architect showed us a preliminary sketch of the building's facade.
The comedy show featured a hilarious sketch about airport security.
He sketched out his plan for the new project in just ten minutes.