easel

noun

ea·​sel ˈē-zəl 

: a frame for supporting something (such as an artist's canvas)

Illustration of easel

Examples of easel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

With markers, paints, and chalk, the real star here is the carrying case that easily converts into a two-sided easel. —Toby Rose, Parents, 24 Oct. 2024

My easel, canvases and paints had been exiled to the space behind the basement stairs. —Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 24 Sep. 2024

Sanders: Our artists were traveling all over the place in Hawaii with their easels and their paints, because a photograph will never work. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 26 July 2024

This term was borrowed in the 16th century, reflecting the idea of a donkey as a supportive beast of burden, akin to how an easel supports a canvas for painting. —Erik Kain, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Dutch ezel, literally, "donkey," going back to Middle Dutch esel, going back to Germanic *asil- (whence Old Saxon & Old High German esil "donkey," Old English esol, eosol, Gothic asilus), altered from Latin asinus — more at ass entry 1

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

easel

noun

ea·​sel ˈē-zəl 

: a frame for supporting something (as an artist's canvas)

Etymology

from Dutch ezel "a frame to hold an artist's canvas," literally, "donkey"

Word Origin

An easel is a frame for holding up such things as an artist's painting or a chalkboard. In the 17th century the Dutch had become famous throughout Europe for their oil painting. Thus it was their word ezel, which they used to refer to this piece of equipment, that was borrowed into English around that time. This sense of ezel was an extension of the original meaning "donkey," probably because an easel, like a beast of burden, is used to hold things.