The Collaborative International Dictionary
Portray \Por*tray"\, v. t. [Written also pourtray.] [imp. & p. p. portrayed; p. pr. & vb. n. Portraying.] [OE. pourtraien, OF. portraire, pourtraire, F. portraire, fr. L. protrahere, protractum, to draw or drag forth; pro forward, forth + trahere to draw. See Trace, v. t., and cf. Protract.]
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To paint or draw the likeness of; as, to portray a king on horseback.
Take a tile, and lay it before thee, and portray upon it the city, even Jerusalem.
--Ezek. iv. 1. Hence, figuratively, to describe in words.
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To adorn with pictures. [R.]
Spear and helmets thronged, and shields Various with boastful arguments potrayed.
--Milton.
Wiktionary
vb. (archaic form of portray English)
Usage examples of "pourtray".
He coulde songes make, and well indite, Joust, and eke dance, and well pourtray and write.
From these mingled elements,--a scrutiny of strangers, approaching almost to jealousy, and an attachment and gratitude to her friends, which gave them credit for every excellence,--she gained latitude enough in her study of mankind, to pourtray every variety of moral feeling.
I see all these beauties, old chap, though I lack the power to pourtray them as you do.
It is very true that Hawthorne had no pretension to pourtray actualities and to cultivate that literal exactitude which is now the fashion.
I am glad to think that, whatever he thought of the book as fiction, he did not find it necessary to grant absolution as to the facts and the details of incidents in character and life pourtrayed in Donovan Pasha.