DISTEMPER

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does distemper mean? 

• DISTEMPER (noun)
  The noun DISTEMPER has 5 senses:

1. any of various infectious viral diseases of animals

2. an angry and disagreeable mood

3. paint made by mixing the pigments with water and a binder

4. a painting created with paint that is made by mixing the pigments with water and a binder

5. a method of painting in which the pigments are mixed with water and a binder; used for painting posters or murals or stage scenery

  Familiarity information: DISTEMPER used as a noun is common.

• DISTEMPER (verb)
  The verb DISTEMPER has 1 sense:

1. paint with distemper

  Familiarity information: DISTEMPER used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DISTEMPER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Any of various infectious viral diseases of animals

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("distemper" is a kind of...):

animal disease (a disease that typically does not affect human beings)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "distemper"):

canine distemper (a viral disease of young dogs characterized by high fever and respiratory inflammation)

equine distemper; strangles (an acute bacterial disease of horses characterized by inflammation of the mucous membranes)

Derivation:

distemper (paint with distemper)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An angry and disagreeable mood

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Synonyms:

distemper; ill humor; ill humour

Hypernyms ("distemper" is a kind of...):

humor; humour; mood; temper (a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "distemper"):

moodiness (a sullen gloomy feeling)

choler; crossness; fretfulness; fussiness; irritability; peevishness; petulance (an irritable petulant feeling)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Paint made by mixing the pigments with water and a binder

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("distemper" is a kind of...):

paint; pigment (a substance used as a coating to protect or decorate a surface (especially a mixture of pigment suspended in a liquid); dries to form a hard coating)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A painting created with paint that is made by mixing the pigments with water and a binder

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("distemper" is a kind of...):

painting; picture (graphic art consisting of an artistic composition made by applying paints to a surface)

Derivation:

distemper (paint with distemper)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A method of painting in which the pigments are mixed with water and a binder; used for painting posters or murals or stage scenery

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("distemper" is a kind of...):

painting (creating a picture with paints)

Derivation:

distemper (paint with distemper)

• DISTEMPER (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they distemper    ... he / she / it distempers   
Past simple: distempered   
Past participle: distempered   
-ing form: distempering   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Paint with distemper

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "distemper" is one way to...):

paint (make a painting)

Domain category:

art; artistic creation; artistic production (the creation of beautiful or significant things)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

distemper (a method of painting in which the pigments are mixed with water and a binder; used for painting posters or murals or stage scenery)

distemper (a painting created with paint that is made by mixing the pigments with water and a binder)

distemper (any of various infectious viral diseases of animals)

 Context examples 

She attended her sickbed; her watchful attentions triumphed over the malignity of the distemper—Elizabeth was saved, but the consequences of this imprudence were fatal to her preserver.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

"Time is the best cure for such youthful distempers."

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

This particular type, however, was never used; FIOCRUZ researchers worked with 6MMPr in another study, to fight the virus that causes canine distemper, a dog disease.

(Brazil scientists discover Zika virus inhibitor, Agência Brasil)

He was so much worse in reality than in my distempered fancy, that afterwards I was attracted to him in very repulsion, and could not help wandering in and out every half-hour or so, and taking another look at him.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)