delineation

delineation
    n 1: a graphic or vivid verbal description; "too often the
         narrative was interrupted by long word pictures"; "the
         author gives a depressing picture of life in Poland"; "the
         pamphlet contained brief characterizations of famous
         Vermonters" [syn: {word picture}, {word-painting},
         {delineation}, {depiction}, {picture}, {characterization},
         {characterisation}]
    2: a drawing of the outlines of forms or objects [syn:
       {delineation}, {depiction}, {limning}, {line drawing}]
    3: representation by drawing or painting etc [syn: {depiction},
       {delineation}, {portrayal}]
    

Delineation \De*lin`e*a"tion\, n. [L. delineatio: cf. F.
   d['e]lin['e]ation.]
   1. The act of representing, portraying, or describing, as by
      lines, diagrams, sketches, etc.; drawing an outline; as,
      the delineation of a scene or face; in drawing and
      engraving, representation by means of lines, as
      distinguished from representation by means of tints and
      shades; accurate and minute representation, as
      distinguished from art that is careless of details, or
      subordinates them excessively.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A delineated picture; representation; sketch; description
      in words.
      [1913 Webster]

            Their softest delineations of female beauty. --W.
                                                  Irving.

   Syn: Sketch; portrait; outline. See {Sketch}.
        [1913 Webster]
    

152 Moby Thesaurus words for "delineation":
      account, alphabet, art, band, bar, black and white, blueprint,
      brouillon, cameo, cartoon, catalog, cataloging, character,
      character sketch, charactering, characterization, charcoal,
      charcoal drawing, chart, chiaroscuro, choreography, configuration,
      contour, conventional representation, copy, crayon, cross-hatching,
      dance notation, dash, demonstration, depiction, depictment,
      description, design, details, diagonal, diagram, doodle,
      dotted line, draft, drafting, drama, drawing, ebauche, elevation,
      esquisse, evocation, exemplification, features, figuration, figure,
      framework, gestalt, graph, graphic account, ground plan, hachure,
      hairline, hatching, hieroglyphic, house plan, ichnography,
      iconography, ideogram, illustration, image, imagery, imaging,
      impression, itemization, letter, limning, line, line drawing,
      lineaments, lineation, lines, logogram, logograph, main features,
      map, musical notation, notation, outline, painting,
      particularization, pastel, pattern, pen-and-ink, pencil drawing,
      photograph, pictogram, picture, picturization, plan, plot,
      portrait, portraiture, portrayal, prefigurement, presentment,
      printing, profile, projection, realization, relief, rendering,
      rendition, representation, rough, rough copy, rough draft,
      rough outline, schema, score, script, shapes, silhouette,
      silver-print drawing, sinopia, skeleton, sketch, sketching, slash,
      specification, story, streak, streaking, striation, strip, stripe,
      striping, stroke, study, sublineation, syllabary, symbol,
      tablature, table, tournure, tracing, underline, underlining,
      underscore, underscoring, version, vignette, virgule,
      vivid description, word painting, working drawing, writing