The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

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.]
   1. To paint or draw the likeness of; as, to portray a king on
      horseback.
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            Take a tile, and lay it before thee, and portray
            upon it the city, even Jerusalem.     --Ezek. iv. 1.
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   2. Hence, figuratively, to describe in words.
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   3. To adorn with pictures. [R.]
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            Spear and helmets thronged, and shields
            Various with boastful arguments potrayed. --Milton.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

portray
    v 1: portray in words; "The book portrays the actor as a selfish
         person"
    2: make a portrait of; "Goya wanted to portray his mistress, the
       Duchess of Alba" [syn: portray, depict, limn]
    3: assume or act the character of; "She impersonates Madonna";
       "The actor portrays an elderly, lonely man" [syn:
       impersonate, portray]
    4: represent abstractly, for example in a painting, drawing, or
       sculpture; "The father is portrayed as a good-looking man in
       this painting" [syn: portray, present]