Definition of easel
: a frame for supporting something (such as an artist's canvas)
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Recent Examples of easel from the Web
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Easels holding different maps and sounding boards were arranged in the center of the room.
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A replica of the Mona Lisa rests on an easel placed center stage on Gene Seyffer’s minimalist set, a series of curving platforms in front of a black velvet curtain.
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West took the idea to the Boys & Girls Club and set up easels, paints, instructions and rough sketches of portraits.
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Artists and their easels were peppered throughout the city's historic district.
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Juno is a science mission not an artist's easel and paintbrush.
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There are three simple words on the wooden easel that accompanies Christina Pappion to live painting events.
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Participating artists set up their easels all over town and paint.
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Four painters displayed their work, propped on easels.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'easel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Illustration of easel
Origin and Etymology of easel
borrowed from Dutch ezel, literally, “donkey,” going back to Middle Dutch esel, going back to Germanic *asil- (whence Old Saxon & Old High German esil “donkey,” Old English esol, eosol, Gothic asilus), altered from Latin asinus — more at 1ass
EASEL Defined for English Language Learners
easel
playDefinition of easel for English Language Learners
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: a frame for supporting an artist's painting
EASEL Defined for Kids
easel
playDefinition of easel for Students
: a frame for supporting an artist's painting
History for easel
Our word easel is borrowed from the Dutch word ezel, which means literally “donkey.” A donkey is used for carrying loads, and an artist's easel, like an obedient animal, does the work of supporting an artist's canvas. If this comparison seems at all odd, we should recall that horse in English is used in a similar way, as in the compound sawhorse, a frame that supports wood for cutting.
Learn More about easel
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See words that rhyme with easel Spanish Central: Translation of easel Nglish: Translation of easel for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of easel for Arabic speakers
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