Nearby Words

stencil

[sten-suhl] Origin

sten·cil

[sten-suhl] noun, verb, -ciled, -cil·ing or (especially British) -cilled, -cil·ling.
noun
1.
a device for applying a pattern, design, words, etc., to a surface, consisting of a thin sheet of cardboard, metal, or other material from which figures or letters have been cut out, a coloring substance, ink, etc., being rubbed, brushed, or pressed over the sheet, passing through the perforations and onto the surface.
2.
the letters, designs, etc., produced on a surface by this method.
verb (used with object)
3.
to mark or paint (a surface) by means of a stencil.
4.
to produce (letters, figures, designs, etc.) by means of a stencil.

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Stencil is one of our favorite verbs.
So is fletcherise. Does it mean:
to chew (food) slowly and thoroughly.
to spend time idly; loaf.

Origin:
1375–1425; earlier stanesile, late Middle English stansele to ornament with diverse colors or spangles < Middle French estanceler, derivative of estencele a spark, ornamental spangle < Vulgar Latin *stincilla, metathetic variant of Latin scintilla scintilla

sten·cil·er; especially British, sten·cil·ler, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
stencil (ˈstɛnsəl)
 
n
1.  a device for applying a design, characters, etc, to a surface, consisting of a thin sheet of plastic, metal, cardboard, etc in which the design or characters have been cut so that ink or paint can be applied through the incisions onto the surface
2.  a decoration, design, or characters produced in this way
 
vb , -cils, -cilling, -cilled, -cils, -ciling, -ciled
3.  to mark (a surface) with a stencil
4.  to produce (characters or a design) with a stencil
 
[C14 stanselen to decorate with bright colours, from Old French estenceler, from estencele a spark, from Latin scintilla]
 
'stenciller
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

stencil
1707, not recorded again until 1848, probably from M.E. stencellen "decorate with bright colors," from M.Fr. estenceler "cover with sparkles or stars, powder with color," from estencele "spark, spangle," from V.L. *stincilla, metathesis of L. scintilla "spark." The verb meaning "to produce a design with
EXPAND
a stencil" is first recorded 1861.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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