Main Entry: ¹pen·cil

Pronunciation: \ˈpen(t)-səl\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English pensel, from Anglo-French pincel, from Vulgar Latin *penicellus, alteration of Latin penicillus, diminutive of peniculus brush, from diminutive of penis tail, penis

Date: 14th century

1 : an artist's brush
2 : an artist's individual skill or style
3 a : an implement for writing, drawing, or marking consisting of or containing a slender cylinder or strip of a solid marking substance b : a small medicated or cosmetic roll or stick for local applications
4 : a set of geometric objects each pair of which has a common property <the lines in a plane through a point comprise a pencil of lines>
5 : something (as a beam of radiation) long and thin like a pencil