paint·er¹ / ˈpāntər/ • n. 1. an artist who paints pictures: a German landscape painter.2. a person who paints buildings, walls, ceilings, and woodwork, esp. as a job.paint·er² • n. a rope attached to the bow of a boat for making it fast.paint·er³ • n. another term for cougar.

painter2 rope to secure an anchor, etc. XV. contemp. with †paint vb. make fast with a rope, which is prob. a back-formation; of unkn. orig., but cf. OF. pentoir, penteur strong rope.