easel

American  

[ee-zuhl] / ˈi zəl /

noun

1. a stand or frame for supporting or displaying at an angle an artist's canvas, a blackboard, a china plate, etc.

2. Also called masking frame.  Photography. a frame, often with adjustable masks, used to hold photographic paper flat and control borders when printing enlargements.

---

easel British  

/ ˈiːzəl /

noun

1. a frame, usually in the form of an upright tripod, used for supporting or displaying an artist's canvas, blackboard, etc

---

Other Word Forms

• easeled adjective

Etymology

Origin of easel

1625–35; < Dutch ezel ass, easel (cognate with German Esel, Old English esel ass) < Vulgar Latin *asilus, for Latin asellus, diminutive of asinus ass ¹

Example Sentences

And she plays a supporting role in the background via a mirrored image of her at her easel, eyeing the tree.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 10, 2026

They grabbed the easel, found crimson and anthracite paint and splattered the colors across the canvas.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 10, 2023

In the museum lobby, an ordinary flat-screen TV mounted on an easel runs a two-dimensional video walk-through of a three-dimensional virtual reality construction, which shows an ordinary, unexceptional corner market.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 25, 2023

He puts his easel and sketchbook into the back of his car, drop the boys at school and sees where the day takes him.

From BBC • Jul. 7, 2023

They turned to me, and Osh sat again among his painting things, facing his easel.

From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk

Related Words

• tripod