: a frame for supporting something (such as an artist's canvas)
Illustration of easel
Examples of easel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebWhile this option is expensive, yearly refills are available to add next year’s calendar to the brass easel.—Jamie Weissman, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Nov. 2023 Layoffs made those who remained at their easels jittery.—Francine Uenuma, Washington Post, 4 Sep. 2023 Across from her daughter's bed, Wu opted for a light wood table and wooden easel, adding a wooden dollhouse on the radiator.—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024 For the everyday artist At just 10 inches tall and weighing less than a pound, this collection of watercolor paints is small enough to tote anywhere inspiration may strike, with a lid that doubles as an easel for a 5-by-7-inch piece of paper.—Sarah Grossbart, wsj.com, 14 Dec. 2023 Display the finished photo project on a mini easel.—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Dec. 2023 Mourners arriving for the funeral were greeted near the door of the red brick church by a large photo of Wilkinson propped up on an easel.—Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2023 Between the sign and the mural is an easel with the original 1964–65 run of the first Joe action figures (don’t ever call them dolls).—Matt Farwell, Harper's Magazine, 13 Dec. 2023 A week later, a few more people came to the art program where a large easel had been set up on the recreation center lawn.—Lola Sherman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'easel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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
: 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 at 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.
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