stencil
1 of 2noun
sten·cil ˈsten(t)-səl 
1
: an impervious material (such as a sheet of paper, thin wax, or woven fabric) perforated with lettering or a design through which a substance (such as ink, paint, or metallic powder) is forced onto a surface to be printed
2
: something (such as a pattern, design, or print) that is produced by means of a stencil
3
: a printing process that uses a stencil
stencil
2 of 2verb
stenciled or stencilled; stenciling or stencilling ˈsten(t)-s(ə-)liŋ
transitive verb
1
: to mark or paint with a stencil
2
: to produce by stencil
stenciler noun
or stenciller
ˈsten(t)-s(ə-)lər
Example Sentences
Noun The walls of the living room had a delicate vine stencil drawn on them. Verb We stenciled the room's walls.
Recent Examples on the Web
Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2022 The growing demand for and popularity of street art, and particularly stencil art, offers a huge opportunity for those looking to invest. Steven Sulley, Forbes, 8 Aug. 2022 There are at least a dozen different ways to do cat makeup for Halloween, and this stencil makes any look about a zillion times easier. Lindy Segal, Harper's BAZAAR, 28 July 2022 Trace holly leaf cookie cutter (for leaves) onto heavy piece of paper and carefully cut out shape, keeping stencil intact. The Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, Good Housekeeping, 21 Oct. 2021 Make your lawn the most patriotic on the block by using grass-friendly spray paint and a DIY stencil to form decorative star decals. Charlyne Mattox, Country Living, 6 June 2022 To make: Use a premade star stencil—or cut your own out of thick craft paper—white acrylic paint, and a paintbrush to add an arrangement of stars to the outside of your container. Charlyne Mattox, Country Living, 6 June 2022 Many online stores offer the option to make your own stencil, which can be helpful for getting the lettering just right. Grace Gallagher, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 June 2022 Then, starting with a little paint at a time, dab paint around the stencil with a foam brush. Monique Valeris, Good Housekeeping, 27 June 2022 Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2021 Someone should stencil that on a plaque so Isa Grullon can add that to the wall in her newspaper office. Thomas Farragher, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Feb. 2021 Portland police plan to stencil large 3-digit numbers on officers' helmets by Nov. 15 to help people more easily identify officers during protests. oregonlive, 17 Oct. 2020 Rich with hues of mustard, cherry, and clay, the house is stenciled floor to ceiling and lavishly draped in Turkish rugs, ornate golden frames, and painted tile hearths. National Geographic, 8 May 2020 These are the faces that appear on placards at protests, the portraits that are stenciled in spray paint, the names that stand for the far more numerous unnamed. Seth Harp, Harper's Magazine, 27 Apr. 2020 These are the faces that appear on placards at protests, the portraits that are stenciled in spray paint, the names that stand for the far more numerous unnamed. Seth Harp, Harper's Magazine, 27 Apr. 2020 Create an accent wall, stencil a pattern, or bring shabby furniture back to life with a DIY painting project. Nicole Clausing, Sunset Magazine, 31 Mar. 2020 DeWine's first job was stenciling seed bags, painting fences and loading trucks for the family business. Jackie Borchardt, Cincinnati.com, 18 Mar. 2020 See More
Noun
Ants crawled across Diaz’s tombstone, a concrete slab overlaid by a metal stencil of a cross surrounded by roses. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2022 The growing demand for and popularity of street art, and particularly stencil art, offers a huge opportunity for those looking to invest. Steven Sulley, Forbes, 8 Aug. 2022 There are at least a dozen different ways to do cat makeup for Halloween, and this stencil makes any look about a zillion times easier. Lindy Segal, Harper's BAZAAR, 28 July 2022 Trace holly leaf cookie cutter (for leaves) onto heavy piece of paper and carefully cut out shape, keeping stencil intact. The Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, Good Housekeeping, 21 Oct. 2021 Make your lawn the most patriotic on the block by using grass-friendly spray paint and a DIY stencil to form decorative star decals. Charlyne Mattox, Country Living, 6 June 2022 To make: Use a premade star stencil—or cut your own out of thick craft paper—white acrylic paint, and a paintbrush to add an arrangement of stars to the outside of your container. Charlyne Mattox, Country Living, 6 June 2022 Many online stores offer the option to make your own stencil, which can be helpful for getting the lettering just right. Grace Gallagher, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 June 2022 Then, starting with a little paint at a time, dab paint around the stencil with a foam brush. Monique Valeris, Good Housekeeping, 27 June 2022 Verb
The idea for the T-shirt came from teammates Tim Weah and DeAndre Yedlin, who went to a kit manager the night before the game and asked him to stencil the slogan on a white T-shirt with a black Sharpie. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2021 Someone should stencil that on a plaque so Isa Grullon can add that to the wall in her newspaper office. Thomas Farragher, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Feb. 2021 Portland police plan to stencil large 3-digit numbers on officers' helmets by Nov. 15 to help people more easily identify officers during protests. oregonlive, 17 Oct. 2020 Rich with hues of mustard, cherry, and clay, the house is stenciled floor to ceiling and lavishly draped in Turkish rugs, ornate golden frames, and painted tile hearths. National Geographic, 8 May 2020 These are the faces that appear on placards at protests, the portraits that are stenciled in spray paint, the names that stand for the far more numerous unnamed. Seth Harp, Harper's Magazine, 27 Apr. 2020 These are the faces that appear on placards at protests, the portraits that are stenciled in spray paint, the names that stand for the far more numerous unnamed. Seth Harp, Harper's Magazine, 27 Apr. 2020 Create an accent wall, stencil a pattern, or bring shabby furniture back to life with a DIY painting project. Nicole Clausing, Sunset Magazine, 31 Mar. 2020 DeWine's first job was stenciling seed bags, painting fences and loading trucks for the family business. Jackie Borchardt, Cincinnati.com, 18 Mar. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
probably ultimately from Middle English stanseld brightly ornamented, from Anglo-French estencelé spangled, past participle of estenceler to sparkle, from estencele spark, from Vulgar Latin *stincilla, alteration of Latin scintilla
First Known Use
Noun
1707, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
circa 1828, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
stencil 1 of 2
noun
sten·cil ˈsten-səl
1
: a piece of material (as a sheet of paper or plastic) that has lettering or a design cut out and is used as a guide (as in painting or drawing)
2
: a pattern, design, or print produced with a stencil
stencil
2 of 2verb
stenciled or stencilled; stenciling or stencilling
1
: to mark or paint with a stencil
I stenciled a box with designs.
2
: to produce with a stencil
Stencil the number on the paper.