Sketch
/skɛtʃ/noun
A quick, rough drawing or a brief, informal plan or description.
Did you know?English got sketch from Dutch schets, and the word ultimately traces back to Greek skhedios, meaning “done offhand” or “extemporaneous,” which is why it has always carried the energy of something made in the moment.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
σχέδιος (skhédios)
“done extemporaneously, offhand, improvised”
Late Latin
Latin
schedius
“improvised, done on the spur of the moment”
Early Modern Dutch
Dutch
schets
“a rough draft or outline drawing”
16th–17th Century
English
sketch
“a rough drawing or outline; a hasty draft”
Modern English
English
sketch
“a quick rough drawing or brief informal description”