pencil
pencil
Pronunciation
/ˈpɛn.səl/.
Here's a breakdown of the sounds in each syllable:
First Syllable: /pɛn/
/p/: Voiceless bilabial plosive (as in "pat")
/ɛ/: Open-mid front unrounded vowel (as in "bed")
/n/: Alveolar nasal (as in "nap")
Second Syllable: /səl/
/s/: Voiceless alveolar fricative (as in "sit")
/əl/: Syllabic lateral approximant (the "l" sound acts as the vowel in this unstressed syllable, as in "bottle")
Word Form Variations
Noun:
Singular: pencil (e.g., "I have one pencil.")
Plural: pencils (e.g., "I have many pencils.")
Verb:
Base form/Infinitive: pencil (e.g., "Please pencil your name here.")
Third-person singular present: pencils (e.g., "He pencils in appointments quickly.")
Present participle: penciling (US) / pencilling (UK) (e.g., "She is penciling a sketch.")
Past tense: penciled (US) / pencilled (UK) (e.g., "He penciled a note on the paper.")
Past participle: penciled (US) / pencilled (UK) (e.g., "The plan was penciled in weeks ago.")
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: A slender, cylindrical implement containing a solid pigment core (typically graphite or colored pigment) encased in wood or a similar material, used for writing, drawing, or marking.
Synonyms: crayon, marker, charcoal (when referring to the drawing tool), stylus (in some contexts)
Antonyms: eraser (as it removes what a pencil creates), pen (differentiated by ink vs. pigment)
Definition 2: A drawing or sketch created using a pencil.
Synonyms: drawing, sketch, rendering, illustration, draft
Antonyms: painting (implies paint), photograph (implies camera)
Verb
Definition 1: To write, draw, or mark something with a pencil.
Synonyms: sketch, draw, write, mark, delineate, jot down (informal, when quickly writing)
Antonyms: erase, ink (when specifically using ink), paint (when using paint)
Definition 2: To make a tentative or provisional entry; to note down something subject to change.
Synonyms: provisionalize, tentatively schedule, earmark, slate (informal), book (tentatively)
Antonyms: finalize, confirm, solidify, ink in (informal, meaning to make permanent)
Examples of Use
Books: "He reached into his breast pocket, pulled out a small notebook and a pencil, and began to sketch rapidly." (From The Secret Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben)
Newspapers: "The county council announced plans to pencil in new bus routes for the coming year, pending final approval from residents." (Source: The Daily Herald)
Online Publications: "Artists on social media often share time-lapse videos of themselves starting with a rough pencil sketch before moving on to ink and color." (Source: Artstation Magazine)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms (Film): In the film John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, John Wick famously uses a pencil as a deadly weapon. (Lionsgate)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms (Music Lyrics): "I got a pencil in my hand, I got a song in my heart." (Lyrics from "The Pencil Song" by Jack Johnson)
General Public Discourse: "Can you lend me a pencil? I need to write down this number." (Common everyday request)
General Public Discourse: "Let's just pencil in a meeting for next Tuesday and confirm closer to the date." (Common phrase in professional settings)
10 Quotes Using Pencil
"I've learned that you can't erase a mistake by covering it with a pencil." (Unknown)
"A writer's most powerful tool is not a pen, but a pencil with a good eraser." (Richard P. Feynman)
"I have a passion for a new pencil." (David Hockney)
"Drawing is still the best way to think. A pencil is a perfect extension of the mind." (Paul Rand)
"Love is like a pencil with a broken tip; it takes time to sharpen it." (Unknown)
"The artist's most difficult task is to make a two-dimensional object appear three-dimensional, using only a pencil." (Charles Bargue)
"I use a pencil for sketching, because I like the feeling of it against the paper." (Quentin Blake)
"My only hope is that I can write with a pencil." (Ernest Hemingway, in a letter)
"You can pencil in a date, but life often draws an entirely different line." (Original)
"A pencil is a little stick of lead and wood and possibility." (Unknown)
Etymology
The word "pencil" has a surprisingly interesting journey through language!
It actually comes from the Latin word "penicillus," which literally means "little tail." This might seem odd for our modern writing tool, but its first use wasn't for what we think of as a pencil today.
In the Middle English period (around the 14th century), "pencil" (spelled in various ways like "pencel" or "pinsel") referred to a small, fine paintbrush often made of camel hair. These delicate brushes were used by artists for detailed work, like illustrating manuscripts. Think of the fine, brush-like tip as a "little tail."
So, the original meaning was an artist's small brush. It wasn't until much later, around the 16th century, when graphite started being used for marking, and eventually encased in wood, that the word "pencil" gradually shifted its meaning to refer to the writing tool we know today. Even then, people often mistakenly called the graphite "black lead," which is why we still sometimes say "pencil lead."
Phrases + Idioms Containing Pencil
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "pencil":
Pencil in: To make a tentative or provisional arrangement for something.
Example: "Let's pencil in a meeting for next Tuesday, and I'll confirm the details later."
Pencil-thin: Very slender or narrow.
Example: "The new skyscraper has a remarkably pencil-thin profile."
Pencil-pushing: (Often derogatory) Referring to administrative or clerical work, implying it's mundane or uncreative.
Example: "He's tired of all the pencil-pushing and wants a more active role."
Lead-pencil: An older, more formal term for the common graphite pencil.
Example: "She carefully drew the lines with a lead-pencil."
Pencil me in: A request to be included or scheduled for something tentatively.
Example: "If you're going to the concert, could you pencil me in?"
Pencil-neck: (Slang, derogatory) A derogatory term for a weak or scrawny person.
Example: "He called his opponent a pencil-neck during the debate."
To break a pencil: (Figurative, original) To hit a creative block or become frustrated during a writing or drawing task.
Example: "I've been staring at this blank page for an hour; I'm about to break a pencil."
Like a worn-down pencil: (Original) Describing someone or something that is exhausted, diminished, or nearly at its end.
Example: "After that long journey, he looked like a worn-down pencil."
Sharpen the pencil: (Figurative, original, drawing on the idea of preparation) To prepare diligently for a task, especially one requiring precision or mental effort.
Example: "Before the big presentation, she took time to sharpen the pencil on her arguments."
In pencil: Written or marked tentatively, implying it can be easily changed or erased.
Example: "The initial plans are just in pencil, so we can still make revisions."
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of pencil from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
