noun
Meaning 1
A paintbrush.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
pencil
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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/ˈpɛnsəl/
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/ˈpɛntsəl/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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Received-Pronunciation, South-Asia, also: /ˈpɛnsɪl/
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rhymes with -ɛnsəl
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CMU ARPABET: P EH1 N S AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
A writing utensil with a graphite (commonly referred to as lead) shaft, usually blended with clay, clad in wood, and sharpened to a taper.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: lead pencil
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
An aggregate or collection of rays of light, especially when diverging from, or converging to, a point.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: engineering, natural-sciences, optics, physical-sciences, physics
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A family of geometric objects with a common property, such as the set of lines that pass through a given point in a projective plane.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: geometry, mathematics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
A small medicated bougie.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, rare
Topics: medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
A small, thin tuft of hairs or feathers.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: formerly
Topics: biology, natural-sciences, zoology
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
Ellipsis of power of the pencil.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
Topics: gambling, games
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 8
To write (something) using a pencil.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
- I penciled (BrE: pencilled) a brief reminder in my notebook.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 9
To mark with, or as if with, a pencil.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 10
a thin cylindrical pointed writing implement; a rod of marking substance encased in wood
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: writing implement
Narrower terms: lead pencil, slate pencil
noun
Meaning 11
a cosmetic in a long thin stick; designed to be applied to a particular part of the face
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- an eyebrow pencil
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: cosmetic
noun
Meaning 12
a figure formed by a set of straight lines or light rays meeting at a point
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: figure
noun
Meaning 13
graphite (or a similar substance) used in such a way as to be a medium of communication
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- the words were scribbled in pencil
- this artist's favorite medium is pencil
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: graphite, black lead, plumbago
verb
Meaning 14
write, draw, or trace with a pencil
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- he penciled a figure
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: draw
History
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman and Old French pincil (see the variant pincel, which gave rise to Modern French pinceau (“paintbrush”)), from Latin pēnicillum, diminutive of pēniculus (“brush”), itself a diminutive of pēnis (“tail; penis”). Not related to pen.
Across languages
Translations
235 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Afrikaans: potlood — graphite writing-instrument
- Albanian: laps — graphite writing-instrument
- Albanian: kalem — graphite writing-instrument
- Amharic: እርሳስ (ʾərsas) — graphite writing-instrument
- Arabic: قَلَم رَصَاص (qalam raṣāṣ) — graphite writing-instrument
- Arabic: قَلَم (qalam) — graphite writing-instrument
- Armenian: մատիտ (matit) — graphite writing-instrument
- Assamese: কাঠ-পেঞ্চিল (kath-peñsil) — graphite writing-instrument
- Assamese: পেঞ্চিল (peñsil) — graphite writing-instrument
- Asturian: llapiceru — graphite writing-instrument
- Asturian: llápiz — graphite writing-instrument
- Avar: къалам (qxʼalam) — graphite writing-instrument
- Aymara: lapisa — graphite writing-instrument
- Azerbaijani: karandaş — graphite writing-instrument
- Azerbaijani: qələm — graphite writing-instrument
- Bashkir: ҡәләм (qələm) — graphite writing-instrument
- Basque: arkatz — graphite writing-instrument
- Basque: lapitz — graphite writing-instrument
- Belarusian: ало́вак (alóvak) — graphite writing-instrument
- Belarusian: каранда́ш (karandáš) — graphite writing-instrument
- Bengali: পেনসিল (penśil) — graphite writing-instrument
- Bengali: অঙ্কনী (oṅkoni) — graphite writing-instrument
- Bole: pensur — graphite writing-instrument
- Bulgarian: мо́лив (móliv) — graphite writing-instrument
- Bulgarian: моли́в (molív) — graphite writing-instrument
- Burmese: ခဲတံ (hkai:tam) — graphite writing-instrument
- Carpathian Rusyn: церуза (ceruza) — graphite writing-instrument
- Carpathian Rusyn: клайбас (klajbas) — graphite writing-instrument
- Catalan: llapis — graphite writing-instrument
- Chechen: къолам (qʼolam) — graphite writing-instrument
- Cherokee: ᏗᎪᏪᎶᏗ (digowelodi) — graphite writing-instrument
- Chinese Cantonese: 鉛筆 /铅笔 (jyun4 bat1) — graphite writing-instrument
- Chinese: гәран (gəran) — graphite writing-instrument
- Chinese: гэран (geran) — graphite writing-instrument
- Chinese: галан (galan) — graphite writing-instrument
- Eastern Min Chinese: 鉛筆 /铅笔 (iòng-bék) — graphite writing-instrument
- Gan Chinese: 鉛筆 /铅笔 — graphite writing-instrument
- Hakka Chinese: 鉛筆 /铅笔 (yèn-pit) — graphite writing-instrument
- Chinese: 鉛筆 /铅笔 (zh-min-nan) — graphite writing-instrument
- Jin Chinese: 鉛筆 /铅笔 (qie1 bieh4) — graphite writing-instrument
- Chinese Mandarin: 鉛筆 /铅笔 (qiānbǐ) — graphite writing-instrument
- Northern Min Chinese: 鉛筆 /铅笔 (uîng-bĭ) — graphite writing-instrument
- Northern Min Chinese: 洋筆 /洋笔 (iô̤ng-bĭ) — graphite writing-instrument
- Taishanese: 鉛筆 /铅笔 — graphite writing-instrument
- Teochew: 鉛筆 /铅笔 (ing5 big4) — graphite writing-instrument
- Wu Chinese: 鉛筆 /铅笔 — graphite writing-instrument
- Xiang Chinese: 鉛筆 /铅笔 (yenn2 bi6) — graphite writing-instrument
- Chuvash: кӑранташ (kărant̬aš) — graphite writing-instrument
- East Circassian: къэрэндащ (qɛrɛndaś) — graphite writing-instrument
- West Circassian: къэлэм (qɛlɛm) — graphite writing-instrument
- Cornish: pluven-blomm — graphite writing-instrument
- Crimean Tatar: qarandaş — graphite writing-instrument
- Czech: tužka — graphite writing-instrument
- Czech: olůvko — graphite writing-instrument
- Danish: blyant — graphite writing-instrument
- Dhivehi: ފަންސުރު (fan̊suru) — graphite writing-instrument
- Central Dusun: pinsil — graphite writing-instrument
- Dutch: potlood — graphite writing-instrument
- Esperanto: krajono — graphite writing-instrument
- Estonian: pliiats — graphite writing-instrument
- Faroese: blýantur — graphite writing-instrument
- Finnish: lyijykynä — graphite writing-instrument
- Finnish: kynä — graphite writing-instrument
- French: crayon — graphite writing-instrument
- North Frisian: pokluad — graphite writing-instrument
- North Frisian: blijant — graphite writing-instrument
- North Frisian: bliistift — graphite writing-instrument
- North Frisian: bliiant (Karrharde, Ockholm) — graphite writing-instrument
- North Frisian: bläijant (Langenhorn) — graphite writing-instrument
- North Frisian: Blijant — graphite writing-instrument
- North Frisian: bläiant — graphite writing-instrument
- North Frisian: bliant (Rodenäs) — graphite writing-instrument
- Saterland Frisian: Bläipänne — graphite writing-instrument
- Saterland Frisian: Bläistikke — graphite writing-instrument
- Saterland Frisian: Bläi — graphite writing-instrument
- West-Frisian: potlead — graphite writing-instrument
- Galician: lapis — graphite writing-instrument
- Georgian: ფანქარი (pankari) — graphite writing-instrument
- German: Bleistift — graphite writing-instrument
- German: Buntstift — graphite writing-instrument
- Greek: μολύβι (molývi) — graphite writing-instrument
- Greenlandic: aqerluusaq — graphite writing-instrument
- Gujarati: સીસાપેન (sīsāpen) — graphite writing-instrument
- Haitian Creole: kreyon — graphite writing-instrument
- Hausa: fensir — graphite writing-instrument
- Hebrew: עִפָּרוֹן (iparón) — graphite writing-instrument
- Hindi: अंकनी (aṅknī) — graphite writing-instrument
- Hindi: पेंसिल (pensil) — graphite writing-instrument
- Hungarian: ceruza — graphite writing-instrument
- Hunsrik: Bleistift — graphite writing-instrument
- Hunsrik: Lappis — graphite writing-instrument
- Icelandic: blýantur — graphite writing-instrument
- Ido: krayono — graphite writing-instrument
- Indonesian: pensil — graphite writing-instrument
- Indonesian: potlot — graphite writing-instrument
- Interlingua: stilo — graphite writing-instrument
- Interlingua: stilo de graphite — graphite writing-instrument
- Inuktitut: ᐊᓪᓛᑦ (allaat) — graphite writing-instrument
- Irish: peann luaidhe — graphite writing-instrument
- Italian: matita — graphite writing-instrument
- Italian: lapis — graphite writing-instrument
- Japanese: 鉛筆 (enpitsu) — graphite writing-instrument
- Javanese: potlot — graphite writing-instrument
- Kalmyk: харанда (xaranda) — graphite writing-instrument
- Kannada: ಪೆನ್ಸಿಲ್ (pensil) — graphite writing-instrument
- Karelian: kynä — graphite writing-instrument
- Kashubian: òłówk — graphite writing-instrument
- Kazakh: қалам (qalam) — graphite writing-instrument
- Kazakh: қарындаш (qaryndaş) — graphite writing-instrument
- Khmer: ខ្មៅដៃ (khmaw day) — graphite writing-instrument
- Korean: 연필 (yeonpil) — graphite writing-instrument
- Central Kurdish: پێنووس (pênûs) — graphite writing-instrument
- Northern Kurdish: qelemrisas — graphite writing-instrument
- Kyrgyz: калем (kalem) — graphite writing-instrument
- Kyrgyz: карандаш (karandaş) — graphite writing-instrument
- Lao: ສໍ (sǭ) — graphite writing-instrument
- Lao: ສໍດໍາ (sǭ dam) — graphite writing-instrument
- Latgalian: zeimuļs — graphite writing-instrument
- Latin: praeductal — graphite writing-instrument
- Latin: graphis — graphite writing-instrument
- Latin: plumbum — graphite writing-instrument
- Latvian: zīmulis — graphite writing-instrument
- Limburgish: blieèrsstek — graphite writing-instrument
- Lingala: kilapi — graphite writing-instrument
- Lithuanian: pieštukas — graphite writing-instrument
- Livonian: bleifēdõr — graphite writing-instrument
- Lü: ᦔᦲᧉᦎᦱᧃᧈ (ṗii2ṫaan1) — graphite writing-instrument
- Luganda: ekalamu — graphite writing-instrument
- Luxembourgish: Bläistëft — graphite writing-instrument
- Luxembourgish: Kräijong — graphite writing-instrument
- Macedonian: молив (moliv) — graphite writing-instrument
- Malagasy: pensily — graphite writing-instrument
- Malay: pensel — graphite writing-instrument
- Malay: ڤينسيل — graphite writing-instrument
- Malayalam: പെൻസിൽ (peṉsil) — graphite writing-instrument
- Maltese: lapes — graphite writing-instrument
- Manx: penn leoaie — graphite writing-instrument
- Manx: pensyl — graphite writing-instrument
- Māori: pene rākau — graphite writing-instrument
- Marathi: पेन्सिल (pensil) — graphite writing-instrument
- Marshallese: pinjeļ — graphite writing-instrument
- Mauritian Creole: kreyon — graphite writing-instrument
- Central Melanau: pisil — graphite writing-instrument
- Mirandese: lhápeç — graphite writing-instrument
- Central Sierra Miwok: sykýˀ-ja- — graphite writing-instrument
- Mokilese: pinjel — graphite writing-instrument
- Mongolian: харандаа (xarandaa) — graphite writing-instrument
- Mongolian: ᠬᠠᠷᠠᠨᠳᠠ (qaranda) — graphite writing-instrument
- Navajo: beeʼakʼeʼelchíhí — graphite writing-instrument
- Nepali: सिसाकलम (sisākalam) — graphite writing-instrument
- Norman: crèyon — graphite writing-instrument
- Norwegian Bokmål: blyant — graphite writing-instrument
- Norwegian Nynorsk: blyant — graphite writing-instrument
- Occitan: gredon — graphite writing-instrument
- Odia: ପେନ୍ସିଲ୍ (pensil) — graphite writing-instrument
- Oromo: qubeessaa — graphite writing-instrument
- Ossetian: кърандас (k’randas) — graphite writing-instrument
- Pannonian Rusyn: клайбас (klajbas) — graphite writing-instrument
- Pashto: پنسل (pensel) — graphite writing-instrument
- Dari: پِنْسِل (pinsil) — graphite writing-instrument
- Iranian Persian: مِداد (medâd) — graphite writing-instrument
- Polish: ołówek — graphite writing-instrument
- Portuguese: lápis — graphite writing-instrument
- Punjabi: ਪੈਨਸਿਲ (painsil) — graphite writing-instrument
- Kalo Finnish Romani: blyijako ranniboskero — graphite writing-instrument
- Romanian: creion — graphite writing-instrument
- Russian: каранда́ш (karandáš) — graphite writing-instrument
- Northern Sami: liánta — graphite writing-instrument
- Samoan: penitala — graphite writing-instrument
- Scots: pincil — graphite writing-instrument
- Scottish Gaelic: peansail — graphite writing-instrument
- Serbo-Croatian: о̀ло̄вка — graphite writing-instrument
- Serbo-Croatian: пи́са̄љка — graphite writing-instrument
- Serbo-Croatian: òlōvka — graphite writing-instrument
- Serbo-Croatian: písāljka — graphite writing-instrument
- Sicilian: lapis — graphite writing-instrument
- Silesian: blajsztyft — graphite writing-instrument
- Sinhalese: පැන්සල (pænsala) — graphite writing-instrument
- Slovak: ceruza — graphite writing-instrument
- Slovak: ceruzka — graphite writing-instrument
- Slovene: svinčnik — graphite writing-instrument
- Somali: qalin qori — graphite writing-instrument
- Lower Sorbian: wołojnik — graphite writing-instrument
- Upper Sorbian: wołojnik — graphite writing-instrument
- Spanish: lápiz — graphite writing-instrument
- Sundanese: potlot — graphite writing-instrument
- Swahili: penseli — graphite writing-instrument
- Swedish: blyertspenna — graphite writing-instrument
- Swedish: penna — graphite writing-instrument
- Sylheti: ꠇꠣꠉ꠆ꠎꠤ (xagzi) — graphite writing-instrument
- Tagalog: lapis — graphite writing-instrument
- Tagalog: pensil — graphite writing-instrument
- Tajik: қалам (qalam) — graphite writing-instrument
- Tajik: мидод (midod) — graphite writing-instrument
- Tamil: எழுதுகோல் (eḻutukōl) — graphite writing-instrument
- Tatar: каләм (qäläm) — graphite writing-instrument
- Telugu: పెన్సిలు (pensilu) — graphite writing-instrument
- Tetum: lapis — graphite writing-instrument
- Thai: ดินสอ (din-sɔ̌ɔ) — graphite writing-instrument
- Tibetan: ཞ་སྨྱུག (zha smyug) — graphite writing-instrument
- Tigrinya: ርሳስ (rəsas) — graphite writing-instrument
- Turkish: kurşun kalem — graphite writing-instrument
- Turkish: kalem — graphite writing-instrument
- Ottoman Turkish: قلم (kalem) — graphite writing-instrument
- Ottoman Turkish: خامه (hame) — graphite writing-instrument
- Turkmen: galam — graphite writing-instrument
- Ukrainian: оліве́ць (olivécʹ) — graphite writing-instrument
- Urdu: پینْسِل (pensil) — graphite writing-instrument
- Urdu: پِنْسِل (pinsil) — graphite writing-instrument
- Uyghur: قېرىنداش (qërindash) — graphite writing-instrument
- Uzbek: qalam — graphite writing-instrument
- Uzbek: karandash — graphite writing-instrument
- Vietnamese: bút chì — graphite writing-instrument
- Vietnamese: viết chì — graphite writing-instrument
- Vilamovian: błajśtift — graphite writing-instrument
- Volapük: stib — graphite writing-instrument
- Welsh: pensil — graphite writing-instrument
- Xhosa: ípénsile class c9 — graphite writing-instrument
- Yakut: харандаас (qarandaas) — graphite writing-instrument
- Yiddish: בלײַער (blayer) — graphite writing-instrument
- Yiddish: בלײַשטיפֿט (blayshtift) — graphite writing-instrument
- Yoruba: pẹ́ńsù — graphite writing-instrument
- Yup'ik: kalantaassaaq — graphite writing-instrument
- Zazaki: qelem — graphite writing-instrument
- Zhuang: yienzbit — graphite writing-instrument
- Zhuang: yenzbiz — graphite writing-instrument
- Dutch: griffel — slate writing-instrument
- Estonian: krihvel — slate writing-instrument
- German: Griffel — slate writing-instrument
- German: Tafelstift — slate writing-instrument
- Greek: κοντύλι (kontýli) — slate writing-instrument
- Romanian: condei — slate writing-instrument
- Volapük: gliv — slate writing-instrument
- Finnish: kirjoittaa lyijykynällä — to write with pencil
- Finnish: merkitä lyijykynällä — to mark with pencil