blue-pencil

[ bloo-pen-suhl ]

/ ˈbluˈpɛn səl /

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See synonyms for blue-pencil on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), blue-pen·ciled, blue-pen·cil·ing or (especially British) blue-pen·cilled, blue-pen·cil·ling.

to alter, abridge, or cancel with or as with a pencil that has blue lead, as in editing a manuscript.

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Origin of blue-pencil

First recorded in 1885–90

Words nearby blue-pencil

Blue Nile, blue norther, bluenose, blue note, blue-on-blue, blue-pencil, blue peter, blue phlox, blue pike, blue pill, blue plate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use blue-pencil in a sentence

Clad in a blue, striped button-down, a silver watch adorning his left wrist, Huckabee beams on the cover.
Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner!|Olivia Nuzzi|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Yeah, the “Giant man-puppy” that is Gronkowski won't hold a sexual candle to the blue-eyed dreamboat.
‘A Gronking to Remember’ Speed Read: 8 Naughtiest Bits|Emily Shire|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
GOP leaders refused; they saw that Duke was pulling blue-collar Democrats to the party.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It denotes the person that puts on the badge, puts on the blue uniform, and goes into the streets to put their life at risk.
Cop Families Boo De Blasio at NYPD Graduation|Michael Daly|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST

They looked up into the blue sky as the helicopters flew over in a lost man formation.
Choking Back Tears, Thousands of Cops Honor Fallen Officer Ramos|Michael Daly|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In pursuing his alchemical researches, he discovered Prussian blue, and the animal oil which bears his name.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Mary is fair as the morning dew— Cheeks of roses and ribbons of blue!
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various
His nose was hooked and rather large, his eyes were blue, bright as steel, and set a trifle wide.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
A little boy aged two years and four months was deprived of a pencil from Thursday to Sunday for scribbling on the wall-paper.
Children's Ways|James Sully
And sure enough when Sunday came, and the pencil was restored to him, he promptly showed nurse his picture.
Children's Ways|James Sully

British Dictionary definitions for blue-pencil

blue pencil

noun

deletion, alteration, or censorship of the contents of a book or other work

verb blue-pencil -cils, -cilling or -cilled or US -cils, -ciling or -ciled

(tr) to alter or delete parts of (a book, film, etc), esp to censor

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012