easel

noun

ea·​sel ˈē-zəl 

: a frame for supporting something (such as an artist's canvas)

Illustration of easel

Examples of easel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The most expensive items in the current collection—like an easel chalkboard with a colorful floral border—are only $10. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 May 2025

In the box, your gift recipient will find a canvas, an easel, two paint brushes, six acrylic paints and a color guide. —Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Nov. 2024

Mass for Pope Francis at the Cathedral of St. Paul A photo of Pope Francis was displayed on an easel draped in black just to the right of the altar at the front of the Cathedral, and Hebda spoke fondly of meeting Pope Francis on numerous occasions. —Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 21 Apr. 2025

Among the materials seized by the police were hundreds of tubes of paint, brushes, easels, along with falsified gallery stamps and artist signatures. —Rosa Rahimi, CNN, 20 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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 ass entry 1

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for easel

• weasel

Kids Definition

easel

noun

ea·​sel ˈē-zəl 

: a frame for supporting something (as an artist's canvas)

Etymology

from Dutch ezel "a frame to hold an artist's canvas," literally, "donkey"

Word Origin

An easel is a frame for holding up such things as an artist's painting or a chalkboard. In the 17th century the Dutch had become famous throughout Europe for their oil painting. Thus it was their word ezel, which they used to refer to this piece of equipment, that was borrowed into English around that time. This sense of ezel was an extension of the original meaning "donkey," probably because an easel, like a beast of burden, is used to hold things.