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easel

easel

19 3.3
A stand with three legs that holds a canvas upright for painting or display
  • noun
  • /ˈiːzəl/
: caballete
  • The artist set up her easel to start painting the beautiful landscape.
  • easel painting
  • easel picture
  • legs of the easel

And when we walk in there, in the center of this massive kind of barn studio space is an easel with a painting taped up with painters tape on it.

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Examples

  • There was only one canvas on an easel in the center of the studio.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • He drags himself to his easel and paints in spite of all.

  • Could I bring my easel to your apartment?

  • Try to put it on your easel and let's talk about it.

  • Did you look at the new painting on my easel?

  • We saw her take her painting off the easel and put another canvas on it.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Samantha, could you please put Exhibit Two on the easel?

  • In the far corner of the room was an easel folded and leaning against a window.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • In the middle of the room was a low-slung plywood easel connected to a plywood platform.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • And I shall set up my easel in the plaza and I shall peddle my watercolors, and sketch tourists.

Synonyms

stand
vseasel
264 2.5

A piece of furniture that holds or shows things

is specific to supporting a painter's canvas upright while someone paints
workstand
vseasel
1 4.0

A strong frame that holds an object while you work on it

is for holding a painter's canvas upright during painting or display

How Complex

drafting table
  • Specialized
2 4.2
easel
19 3.3
drawing board
24 3.1
clipboard
36 2.3

Surface Forms

easel singular
easels plural

Etymology

Easel comes from the Dutch word ezel, which means 'donkey', because the stand carries a painting like a donkey carries a load. So an easel is like a little donkey that holds your canvas while you paint.