stencil

[sten-suhl]

noun

1. a device for applying a pattern, design, words, etc., to a surface, consisting of a thin sheet of cardboard, metal, or other material from which figures or letters have been cut out, a coloring substance, ink, etc., being rubbed, brushed, or pressed over the sheet, passing through the perforations and onto the surface.

2. the letters, designs, etc., produced on a surface by this method.

verb (used with object)

stenciled, stenciling , stencilled, stencilling .

1. to mark or paint (a surface) by means of a stencil.

2. to produce (letters, figures, designs, etc.) by means of a stencil.

stencil

/ ˈstɛnsəl /

noun

1. a device for applying a design, characters, etc, to a surface, consisting of a thin sheet of plastic, metal, cardboard, etc in which the design or characters have been cut so that ink or paint can be applied through the incisions onto the surface

2. a decoration, design, or characters produced in this way

verb

1. to mark (a surface) with a stencil

2. to produce (characters or a design) with a stencil

Other Word Forms

• stenciler noun
• stenciller noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of stencil¹

1375–1425; earlier stanesile, late Middle English stansele to ornament with diverse colors or spangles < Middle French estanceler, derivative of estencele a spark, ornamental spangle < Vulgar Latin *stincilla, metathetic variant of Latin scintilla scintilla

Word History and Origins

Origin of stencil¹

C14 stanselen to decorate with bright colours, from Old French estenceler, from estencele a spark, from Latin scintilla

Example Sentences

When we talked the other day, Percival wore a T-shirt with a cartoon image of a bull, with the word “PEN’’ stenciled on it.

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It took him a full day to broadcast the seed into the furrows, after which he folded away the burlap, barely noticing a stencilled word indicating where it had come from: Odessa.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Its photocopiers didn’t need awkward stencils to serve as the master copy.

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She placed stencils of the tattoo on Althouse’s arm before they got started that morning, tweaking the tattoo size and its placement.

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"Using the burnt material that remains on the surface of the casing as a stencil, we can deposit specific materials in between the gaps, allowing for the visualisation," said Dr. McKeever.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• arrangement