easel — a wooden frame, typically with three legs, for holding an artist's work while it is being painted or drawn
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a wooden frame, typically with three legs, for holding an artist's work while it is being painted or drawn
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈiːzəl/
Example Sentences
- My cat knocked over my easel and now there's paint everywhere except on the canvas.
- He bought an expensive easel but still draws stick figures.
- The art teacher demonstrated how to adjust the easel for different heights.
easel
NOUN[/ˈiːzəl/]
a wooden frame, typically with three legs, for holding an artist's work while it is being painted or drawn
Artist's three-legged painting stand
A weasel paints at an easel while diesel fumes swirl!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word 'easel' derives from 17th-century Dutch 'ezel', meaning 'donkey'. The term was metaphorically applied to the painting stand because, like a donkey that bears and supports a load, the easel similarly supports and bears the weight of a canvas or artwork.
Breakdown
ezel (Dutch: donkey) → easel (painter's support stand). The semantic shift reflects a metaphorical extension based on the load-bearing function common to both the animal and the apparatus.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My cat knocked over my easel and now there's paint everywhere except on the canvas.”
“He bought an expensive easel but still draws stick figures.”
“The art teacher demonstrated how to adjust the easel for different heights.”
“Van Gogh painted many of his masterpieces on a simple wooden easel.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
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