stencil

[ sten-suhl ]

See synonyms for stencil on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

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

to mark or paint (a surface) by means of a stencil.
to produce (letters, figures, designs, etc.) by means of a stencil.

Origin of stencil

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 scintillascintilla

Other words from stencil

sten·cil·er; especially British, sten·cil·ler, noun

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

How to use stencil in a sentence

The team placed a stencil with the shape of a circuit onto the back of the paper.
Ordinary paper turns into flexible human-powered keypad | Kathryn Hulick | November 6, 2020 | Science News For Students
Stenciling can be very attractively used for curtains and portières for country houses.
Furnishing the Home of Good Taste | Lucy Abbot Throop
Problem—Circular cutting, grooving, stenciling, and coloring.
Construction Work for Rural and Elementary Schools | Virginia McGaw
It is a white wood and shows printing and stenciling clearly.
American Forest Trees | Henry H. Gibson
Muelle uses quantities of solid embroidery and appliqu work, where other costumers are content with stenciling and gilding.
Confessions of an Opera Singer | Kathleen Howard

I promise you solemnly I'll never touch a cake of soap to any stenciling I do.
Ethel Morton and the Christmas Ship | Mabell S. C. Smith

British Dictionary definitions for stencil

stencil

/ (ˈstɛnsəl) /

noun

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
a decoration, design, or characters produced in this way

verb-cils, -cilling or -cilled or US -cils, -ciling or -ciled (tr)

to mark (a surface) with a stencil
to produce (characters or a design) with a stencil

Origin of stencil

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

Derived forms of stencil

stenciller, noun

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

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