Definition

1. Noun:
   • A short film created by photographing a series of drawings, giving the illusion of movement when shown quickly: An "animated cartoon" is a movie that uses a sequence of illustrated frames to simulate motion and tell a story, often for entertainment.

Usage

• The term "animated cartoon" typically refers to a complete, self-contained short film or a segment within a longer program. It is used to distinguish this art form from live-action film or static cartoons (single-panel illustrations).
• It is commonly used in discussions about film history, animation techniques, and entertainment for children and adults.

Examples

• :
  • Walt Disney produced his first animated cartoon, "Steamboat Willie," in 1928.
  • Saturday morning television was once filled with animated cartoons for children.

Advanced Usage

• "Animated cartoon" as a historical term: In modern contexts, the term "animation" or simply "cartoon" is often used. "Animated cartoon" can sound slightly formal or refer specifically to the traditional, hand-drawn style.
  • The museum exhibit focused on the golden age of the animated cartoon.

Variants and Related Words

• Animation (n): The broader technique or process of creating moving images from sequences of drawings, computer graphics, etc.
  • She studied computer animation in college.
• Cartoon (n): Can refer to a single humorous drawing (a comic strip or political cartoon) or, informally, to an animated film or series.
  • He draws a political cartoon for the newspaper. / My favorite cartoon is on TV.

Synonyms

• Animated film: A more general term that can include feature-length movies.
• Short (film): A very brief movie; many classic animated cartoons are shorts.
• Toon: A very informal, shortened slang term for an animated cartoon.

Related Phrases

• Animated series: A television or web series composed of multiple episodes of animated cartoons.
  • "Adventure Time" is a popular animated series.
• Cartoon character: A character that originates from or appears in an animated cartoon.
  • Mickey Mouse is a famous cartoon character.

Related Idioms

Noun

1. a film made by photographing a series of cartoon drawings to give the illusion of movement when projected in rapid sequence