easel

noun

ea·​sel ˈē-zəl 

: a frame for supporting something (such as an artist's canvas)

Illustration of easel

Examples of easel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Be sure to visit the historic district that weekend to enjoy watching the artists with their easels set up around town to capture its unique charm. —Janet Kusterer, Baltimore Sun, 23 May 2026

Pettis took out a paper towel and began rubbing the paints together on the easel. —Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 9 May 2026

Punjabi influence in Yuba-Sutter Walking through the doors of the Sutter County Museum, visitors encounter a painting, hoisted on an easel and still in progress, representing the lineage of the Punjabi Mexican families, many of which hail from the Yuba-Sutter area. —Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 13 Apr. 2026

Bring your own drawing materials, but easels, tables, chairs, and drawing horses are provided. —Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Dutch ezel, literally, "donkey," going back to Middle Dutch esel, going back to Germanic *asil- (whence Old Saxon & Old High German esil "donkey," Old English esol, eosol, Gothic asilus), altered from Latin asinus — more at ass entry 1

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for easel

• weasel
• biodiesel

Kids Definition

easel

noun

ea·​sel ˈē-zəl 

: a frame for supporting something (as an artist's canvas)

Etymology

from Dutch ezel "a frame to hold an artist's canvas," literally, "donkey"

Word Origin

An easel is a frame for holding up such things as an artist's painting or a chalkboard. In the 17th century the Dutch had become famous throughout Europe for their oil painting. Thus it was their word ezel, which they used to refer to this piece of equipment, that was borrowed into English around that time. This sense of ezel was an extension of the original meaning "donkey," probably because an easel, like a beast of burden, is used to hold things.