Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense stencils, present participle stencilling, past tense, past participle stencilledregional note: in AM, use stenciling, stenciled
1. countable noun
A stencil is a piece of paper, plastic, or metal which has a design cut out of it. You place the stencil on a surfaceand paint it so that paint goes through the holes and leaves a design on the surface.
2. verb
If you stencil a design or if you stencil a surface with a design, you put a design on a surface using a stencil.
He then stencilled the ceiling with a moon and stars motif. [VERB noun + with]
...a stencilled design. [VERB-ed]
[Also VERB noun]
stencil in British English
(ˈstɛnsəl)
noun
1.
a device for applying a design, characters, etc, to a surface, consisting of a thin sheet of plastic, metal, cardboard, etc, in which the design or characters have been cut so that ink or paint can be applied through the incisions onto the surface
2.
a decoration, design, or characters produced in this way
verbWord forms: -cils, -cilling, -cilledWord forms: US-cils, -ciling or -ciled(transitive)
3.
to mark (a surface) with a stencil
4.
to produce (characters or a design) with a stencil
Derived forms
stenciller (ˈstenciller) or US stenciler (ˈstenciler)
noun
Word origin
C14 stanselen to decorate with bright colours, from Old French estenceler, from estencele a spark, from Latin scintilla
stencil in American English
(ˈstɛnsəl)
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈstenciled or ˈstencilled, ˈstenciling or ˈstencilling
1.
to make, mark, or paint with a stencil
noun
2.
a thin sheet, as of paper, metal, or impermeable film, with holes cut through in the shape of letters or designs: when ink, paint, etc. is spread over the stencil, the letters or designs are marked on the surface beneath
3.
a pattern, design, letter, etc. made by stenciling
Derived forms
stenciler (ˈstenciler)
noun or ˈstenciller
Word origin
< ME stansilen, to ornament with spangles < OFr estenceler < estencele, spangle, spark < VL *stincilla, for L scintilla, spark: see scintillate
Examples of 'stencil' in a sentence
stencil
Scissors no doubt for cutting stencil codes and the mirror for signals.
Dexter Petley WHITE LIES (2003)
She and Whitney rolled him on his back and did the front of his chest for good measure, using the stencil to spell out LOSER.
Laura Lippman THE LAST PLACE (2003)
In other languages
stencil
British English: stencil NOUN
A stencil is a piece of paper, plastic, or metal which has a design cut out of it. You place the stencil on a surface and paint it so that paint goes through the holes and leaves a design on the surface.
American English: stencil
Brazilian Portuguese: estêncil
Chinese: 模版
European Spanish: plantilla
French: pochoir
German: Schablone
Italian: stencil
Japanese: ステンシル
Korean: 스텐실
European Portuguese: estêncil
Latin American Spanish: plantilla
British English: stencil VERB
If you stencil a design or if you stencil a surface with a design, you put a design on a surface using a stencil.
He then stencilled the ceiling with a moon and stars motif.