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tortillon

[ tawr-tee-on, -ohn; French tawr-tee-yawn ]
/ ˌtɔr tiˈɒn, -ˈoʊn; French tɔr tiˈyɔ̃ /
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noun, plural tor·til·lions [tawr-tee-onz, -ohnz; French tawr-tee-yawn] /ˌtɔr tiˈɒnz, -ˈoʊnz; French tɔr tiˈyɔ̃/.

a stump made of paper twisted to a point, used in drawing.

Nearby words

  1. tortfeasor,
  2. torticollis,
  3. tortile,
  4. tortilla,
  5. tortilla flat,
  6. tortious,
  7. tortiously,
  8. tortoise,
  9. tortoise beetle,
  10. tortoise brooch

Origin of tortillon

1890–95; < French: literally, something twisted < tortill(er) to twist (see tort) + -on noun suffix
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tortillon

  • Tortillon stumps are used in making the face, when it is desired to produce the stump effect, and also in making the hair.

    Crayon Portraiture|Jerome A. Barhydt

  • It will also be well to make a chamois block for applying the crayon sauce, to be worked with the tortillon stump.

    Crayon Portraiture|Jerome A. Barhydt
British Dictionary definitions for tortillon

tortillon

/ (ˌtɔːtiːˈɒn, -ˈəʊn, French tɔrtijɔ̃) /

noun

another word for stump (def. 5)

Word Origin for tortillon

from French: something twisted, from Old French tortiller to twist
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