Easel

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈiː.z(ə)l/

Definitions

1. A stand or frame, typically wooden and adjustable, used to support and display a canvas, board, or other flat surface at an angle for painting, writing, or presentation
2. A support structure designed to hold a flat surface, such as a canvas or board, at a specific angle for artistic creation, display, or instructional use
3. A framed apparatus that elevates and stabilizes a flat medium for activities like painting, sketching, or presenting, enabling better visibility and accessibility

Etymology: The easel is, in its name, a donkey. Dutch "ezel" means both "donkey" and "easel," and English borrowed the painter's stand from Dutch. The Dutch word traces back through Middle Dutch "esel" to a Proto-West Germanic form, and beyond that to Latin "asellus," a diminutive of "asinus," meaning "ass" or "donkey." The Latin root itself comes from an unknown source in Asia Minor. The comparison is the same one behind other English words. A frame with legs that holds something up is a "horse," as in clotheshorse and sawhorse. The easel's makers were likewise picturing a sturdy beast of burden, bearing a heavy load on its back, with the canvas as the load.

Synonyms: stand, frame