pencel

1 of 3

noun (1)

pen·​cel ˈpen(t)-səl 

variants or pencil

: pennoncel

pencil

2 of 3

noun (2)

pen·​cil ˈpen(t)-səl 

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 (such as a beam of radiation) long and thin like a pencil

pencil

3 of 3

verb

penciled or pencilled; penciling or pencilling ˈpen(t)-s(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to paint, draw, write, or mark with a pencil

2

: to plan or designate tentatively

—used with in

penciled him in as the nominee

Examples of pencel in a Sentence

Noun (2)

Use a pencil instead of a pen so you can erase your mistakes.

Verb

He penciled some notes on a piece of paper.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Saar took a smiling mammy figure and replaced the pencil a Black housekeeper would have used for her client’s grocery list with a rifle and grenade. — Tara Anne Dalbow, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026

The pencil skirt is no longer just a stand-by thanks to this season’s joyful array of textures, colors, and finishes. — Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 10 July 2026

Verb

But in many cases, the math for EV battery recycling is not penciling out. — Camila Domonoske, NPR, 13 July 2026

Both ideas are penciled into the Ada County Highway District’s 2024 Master Street Map. — Mark Dee july 10, Idaho Statesman, 10 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English pencel, from Anglo-French pencel, penuncel

Noun (2)

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

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1500, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing pencel

• blue-pencil
• eyebrow pencil
• grease pencil
• in pencil
• lead pencil
• mechanical pencil
• pencil case
• pencil in
• pencil pusher
• pencil sharpener
• propelling pencil
• red-pencil
• styptic pencil

Rhymes for pencel

• pencil
• stencil
• tensile
• commensal
• prehensile
• utensil
• intercensal