pencil

1 of 2

noun

pen·​cil ˈpen(t)-səl 

1

: an artist's brush

2

: an artist's individual skill or style

3

a

: an implement for writing, drawing, or marking consisting of or containing a slender cylinder or strip of a solid marking substance

b

: a small medicated or cosmetic roll or stick for local applications

4

: a set of geometric objects each pair of which has a common property

the lines in a plane through a point comprise a pencil of lines

5

: something (such as a beam of radiation) long and thin like a pencil

pencil

2 of 2

verb

penciled or pencilled; penciling or pencilling ˈpen(t)-s(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to paint, draw, write, or mark with a pencil

2

: to plan or designate tentatively

—used with in

penciled him in as the nominee

Examples of pencil in a Sentence

Noun

Use a pencil instead of a pen so you can erase your mistakes.

Verb

He penciled some notes on a piece of paper.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The current minimum wage pencils out to about $33,000 a year, and the average cost of living is about $53,082 a year, according to recent federal data. —Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024

Meanwhile, Travis sported Gomez' classic striped suit, pencil mustache and slicked back black hair and even carried the character's signature cigar. —Raven Brunner, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024

Verb

Sure, some pundits are penciling them in as a play-in team, but those predictions overlook one thing: This roster is still loaded. —Brian Sampson, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024

Many farmers decided that the payments — $300 per acre-foot of water conserved — would pencil out for them this year, in part because hay prices have recently fallen. —Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English pensel, from Anglo-French pincel, from Vulgar Latin *penicellus, alteration of Latin penicillus, diminutive of peniculus brush, from diminutive of penis tail, penis

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1500, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing pencil

• blue pencil
• eyebrow pencil
• grease pencil
• in pencil
• lead pencil
• mechanical pencil
• pencil case
• pencil in
• pencil pusher
• pencil sharpener
• propelling pencil
• red-pencil
• styptic pencil

Kids Definition

pencil

1 of 2 noun

pen·​cil ˈpen(t)-səl 

1

: an instrument for writing, drawing, or marking consisting of or containing a slender cylinder or strip of a solid marking substance

2

: something like a pencil in form or use

an eyebrow pencil

pencil

2 of 2 verb

penciled or pencilled; penciling or pencilling

ˈpen(t)-s(ə-)liŋ

: to mark, draw, or write with or as if with a pencil

Etymology

Noun

Middle English pensel "an artist's brush, pencil," from early French pincel (same meaning), derived from Latin penicillus, literally, "little tail" — related to penicillin see Word History at ³pen

Medical Definition

pencil

noun

pen·​cil ˈpen(t)-səl 

1

: a small medicated or cosmetic roll or stick for local applications

a menthol pencil

2

: an aggregate of rays of radiation (as light) especially when diverging from or converging to a point