- a narrow piece of wood, or a metal or plastic case, containing a black or coloured substance, used for drawing or writing
- I'll get a pencil and paper.
- coloured pencils
- I need to sharpen my pencil.
- in pencil She scribbled a note in pencil.
- margin notes in pencil
- Each picture was carefully drawn with pencil and then colour was added.
- a pencil drawing/sketch
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- blunt
- sharp
- soft
- …
- draw (something) with
- use
- write (something) with
- …
- lead
- sharpener
- eraser
- …
- in pencil
Word OriginMiddle English (denoting a fine paintbrush): from Old French pincel, from a diminutive of Latin peniculus ‘brush’, diminutive of penis ‘tail’. The verb was originally (early 16th cent.) in the sense ‘paint with a fine brush’.Definitions on the go
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pencil