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.

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Origin of tortillon

1890–95; <French: literally, something twisted <tortill(er) to twist (see tort) + -on noun suffix

Words nearby tortillon

torticollis, tortile, tortilla, tortilla chip, Tortilla Flat, tortillon, tortious, tortoise, tortoise beetle, tortoise brooch, tortoise-core

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use tortillon in a sentence

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