blue pencilnoun [ S ]
uk/ˌbluː ˈpen.səl/us/ˌbluː ˈpen.səl/If a person goes over a piece of writing with a blue pencil, they remove or change some of the words to improve it or make it acceptable.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Editing & compiling
- abridge
- amend
- compile
- compiler
- corrigendum
- cut and paste idiom
- draft
- edit
- editable
- editorial
- emend
- excerpt
- lexicographer
- lexicography
- paste
- proof
- redact
- redaction
- revise
- reword
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Examples from literature
- Be thankful for a merciless City Editor and his blue pencil.
- His blue pencil is often busy adding phrasing marks.
- If it weren't for him I would give you the proofs to blue pencil as much as you liked.
- It came marked with blue pencil together with a note.
- Now, taking up a blue pencil, he crossed off the number five.
- She found him sitting in his room working, applying a stout blue pencil authoritatively to bundles of filmy paper.