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.

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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

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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

Upstairs at the studio I have a little painting area with easels for my grandkids, but my grandson, Jet, isn’t that into painting.

From Los Angeles Times

I started to pull the door open when I noticed something else in the window—a placard on an easel.

From Literature

Duane also didn’t know that the contraption standing beside the man was an easel, and the square of white sitting upon it was an empty canvas.

From Literature

She was in the big studio where she painted, and she was working at her easel, humming and holding a paintbrush with a blue-daubed end in her hand.

From Literature

The portrait of you sat dusty on its easel.

From Literature

Related Words

• tripod