Pencil

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈpɛnsəl/

Definitions

1. A thin cylindrical writing instrument made of wood surrounding a core of graphite or colored material
2. A slender tool designed for writing or drawing, which features a core of graphite or colored material encased in wood or a similar substance
3. This object utilized for marking surfaces typically consists of a graphite or colored core enclosed in a cylindrical body, often made of wood

Etymology: The pencil you hold is named after a paintbrush. The Latin "pēnicillum" meant a small brush, a diminutive of "pēniculus," which itself meant a brush and was a diminutive of "pēnis," the Latin word for "tail." The brush sense came from the tail-like shape of a bundle of hair, and the same root gave Old French "pincel," a fine artist's brush, which later became "pinceau," the modern French for paintbrush. The English word came by way of Anglo-Norman and Old French "pincil," so the pencil's name descends from the tool for applying paint rather than from anything used for writing. The writing instrument was only a later application of the same name, and the word has no connection to "pen" despite the similar opening sound.

Synonyms: pen, crayon, marker