blue-pencil

verb

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blue-pen·cil | \ ˈblü-ˈpen(t)-səl

blue-penciled; blue-penciling; blue-pencils

Definition of blue-pencil

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

: to edit especially by shortening or deletion

blue pencil

noun

Definition of blue pencil (Entry 2 of 2)

: a writing instrument used for editing also : the act or practice of blue-penciling

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Examples of blue-pencil in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun This man’s face is sketched in blue pencil amid rows of faces penciled in plain graphite gray. — Leslie Jamison, The Atlantic, "The Breathtaking Ingenuity of Incarcerated Artists," 7 Feb. 2021 Stalin’s blue pencil, unlike that of other editors, glided across not just poetry chapbooks and literary journals but life itself. — Aaron Lake Smith, Harper's magazine, "The Trials of Vasily Grossman," 24 June 2019 But a blue pencil is as strong as a sword, and more cut and thrust would have made this book sharper. — Laura Jacobs, New York Times, "Ten Women Whose Tongues and Pens Were as ‘Sharp’ as Knives," 11 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'blue-pencil.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.