airbrush

See also: air-brush and air brush

English

A single-action, external mix airbrush

Alternative forms

• air brush
• air-brush

Etymology

From air +‎ brush.

Noun

airbrush (plural airbrushes)

1. A miniature, handheld paint sprayer, powered by compressed air or other gas, used for delicate, artistic painting, or sometimes retouching of photographs.

Derived terms

• airbrusher
• airtist

 

Translations

handheld paint sprayer powered by compressed air

• Albanian: aerográf m, aerográfi m
• Catalan: aerògraf m
• Finnish: kynäruisku, retussiruisku
• French: aérographe (fr) m
• German: Airbrush (de) f
• Irish: aerdhathadóir m
• Polish: aerograf (pl) m
• Spanish: aerógrafo (es) m

Verb

airbrush (third-person singular simple present airbrushes, present participle airbrushing, simple past and past participle airbrushed)

1. To paint using an airbrush.
2. To touch up or enhance a photograph or person, often with intent to mislead.

   This photo has definitely been airbrushed; no one has skin this smooth.

3. (by extension, figurative) To edit or alter something in order to make it appear better.
   • 2022, Jane Harper, Exiles, page 287:

     They'd spent one evening together sixteen months ago, and Falk was acutely aware that he'd probably airbrushed and edited at least some of it without meaning to.

to paint using an airbrush

• Esperanto: pistolfarbi

Synonyms

• (enhance a photograph): photoshop, doctor