pencil
Americannoun
-
pencils
plural
-
a slender tube of wood, metal, plastic, etc., containing a core or strip of graphite, a solid coloring material, or the like, used for writing or drawing.
-
a stick of cosmetic coloring material for use on the eyebrows, eyelids, etc.
-
anything shaped or used like a pencil, as a stick of medicated material.
a styptic pencil.
-
a narrow set of lines, light rays, or the like, diverging from or converging to a point.
a pencil of sunlight.
-
a slender, pointed piece of a substance used for marking.
-
style or skill in drawing or delineation.
He favored the late products of the artist's pencil.
-
Mathematics. the collection of lines, planes, or surfaces passing through a given point or set of points and satisfying a given equation or condition.
-
Archaic. an artist's paintbrush, especially for fine work.
verb (used with object)
-
pencils,
present (3rd person singular)
-
penciled,
past participle, past
-
pencilled,
past participle, past (especially British)
-
penciling,
present participle
-
pencilling
present participle (especially British)
-
to write, draw, mark, or color with, or as if with, a pencil.
-
to use a pencil on.
verb phrase
noun
-
-
a thin cylindrical instrument used for writing, drawing, etc, consisting of a rod of graphite or other marking substance, usually either encased in wood and sharpened or held in a mechanical metal device
-
( as modifier )
a pencil drawing
-
-
something similar in shape or function
a styptic pencil
an eyebrow pencil
-
a narrow set of lines or rays, such as light rays, diverging from or converging to a point
-
archaic an artist's fine paintbrush
-
rare an artist's individual style or technique in drawing
verb
-
to draw, colour, or write with a pencil
-
to mark with a pencil
-
to note, arrange, include, etc provisionally or tentatively
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
pencilsimple
-
pencilssimple
-
have penciledperfect
-
have pencilledperfect
-
has penciledperfect
-
has pencilledperfect
-
am pencilingprogressive
-
am pencillingprogressive
-
are pencilingprogressive
-
are pencillingprogressive
-
is pencilingprogressive
-
is pencillingprogressive
-
have been pencilingperfect progressive
-
have been pencillingperfect progressive
-
has been pencilingperfect progressive
-
has been pencillingperfect progressive
Past
-
penciledsimple
-
pencilledsimple
-
had penciledperfect
-
had pencilledperfect
-
was pencilingprogressive
-
was pencillingprogressive
-
were pencilingprogressive
-
were pencillingprogressive
-
had been pencilingperfect progressive
-
had been pencillingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of pencil
1350–1400; Middle English pencel < Middle French pincel ≪ Latin pēnicillus painter's brush or pencil, diminutive of pēniculus little tail. See penis, -cule 1
Explanation
If you want to write something you can easily erase, write it with a pencil (instead of with a pen). When you color in the bubbles on a standardized test, a #2 pencil is the way to go. Unlike pens, which use ink, pencils have a pointed cylinder of graphite that makes marks on paper. Most pencils are wood with a thin center of graphite, although mechanical pencils are made of metal or plastic and look more like pens. You might describe an artwork as a pencil drawing, or ask if you can pencil some notes in the margins of your friend's copy of "Moby Dick." When you "pencil something in," you mark it tentatively on your calendar, knowing you might have to erase it later if your plans change.
Vocabulary lists containing pencil
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
If you thought the last exam of college or grad school marked the end of your education, then you should take the following news sitting down—maybe at a desk with a No. 2 pencil.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
They’re familiar with holding a pencil and working independently.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
Ten years ago Alec Palao was casually flicking through a collection of old records when he noticed some faint pencil markings that were enough to draw a gasp.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Then he found a pencil and a sheet of paper and started writing.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
I put away two novels, my pencil case, and my calculator and highlighters.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
We did, however, register a website for our new school ventures, ProPublicaAcademy.com, and even designed some fun pencils to show our school spirit.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
“I think everyone is sharpening their pencils and wondering what is the impact of this going to be,” Brill said of the spike in yields since August.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
That usually suggests the bond market expects a rate increase, and this time it pencils in at least one more quarter-point increase soon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
“When a court says pencils down, that’s supposed to mean pencils down.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
Hands were everywhere—open, holding pencils, scrunched up like a fist.
From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
Economists penciled in higher expected growth this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
A day earlier, Kashkari said he penciled in one more rate hike in 2026 and another one next year.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
But in commentary shared with MarketWatch, Slok said out that the gap between tech analysts’ rosy cash-flow forecasts and the more modest numbers being penciled in for other sectors was looking suspiciously wide.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
A. Sixteen of 18 officials penciled in at least one more increase this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
CAT was penciled on the front in square letters.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
Fed officials also pencilled in another rate rise by the end of the year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Goldman Sachs estimate is $474 billion in 2030 while Morgan Stanley has $330 billion pencilled in, according to forecasts shared with investors that the Wall Street Journal reported.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 15, 2026
Beyond that, there's the spending plans the chancellor has pencilled in for future years.
From BBC ● Mar. 3, 2026
But given the slowdown in inflation, analysts at Capital Economics said they had now "pencilled in rate cuts towards the end of the year".
From Barron's ● Feb. 5, 2026
On it was pencilled the words: “Serves you right.”
From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell
Wall Street analysts are already penciling in strong earnings growth — not just for large-cap companies, but for small-cap firms as well, FactSet data showed.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 9, 2026
Economists remain divided on the BOK’s policy path, with some still penciling in a rate cut in the first quarter of 2026 and others maintaining that the current easing cycle may have already ended.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 27, 2025
Fed policymakers had previously indicated in their September Summary of Economic Projections that they were penciling in rate cuts at both the October and December meetings.
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2025
In the meantime, below are 10 essential Latino performances we’ll be penciling into our schedule, listed in chronological order.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 7, 2025
“All right,” says the president, penciling in Annie’s name.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
While expectations of a swift eurozone rate hike have been tempered somewhat, some are now pencilling one in for the ECB's June meeting.
From Barron's ● Apr. 30, 2026
More than 80% of companies have beaten so far and S&P500 companies are on course for annual profit growth of 2.6% for Q3 and pencilling in some 12% earnings expansion for 2024.
From Reuters ● Oct. 27, 2023
Officials have offered more vocal support in recent days to earlier action and we are pencilling in a September announcement, but it is clear that the Covid resurgence could delay it.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 19, 2021
Anytime you get Rahm in California pencilling in a top 10 is just a given at this point.
From Golf Digest ● Feb. 12, 2020
In expression, in calm religious majesty, in suavity of pencilling, and the grand, pure style of the heads and drapery, quite like Raffaelle.”
From Rambles of an Archaeologist Among Old Books and in Old Places Being Papers on Art, in Relation to Archaeology, Painting, Art-Decoration, and Art-Manufacture by F. W. (Frederick William) Fairholt
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
