pantograph

1 9.9

A tool with connected arms that copies a drawing at a different size

noun
/ˈpæn.təˌgræf/

Specialized

: pantógrafo

In 1906, he described a "delineating machine," which used a pantograph that traced a large drawing of a typeface and produced a steel punch at a much-reduced scale.

Examples

With a pantograph, you can easily scale up your blueprints for the construction project.
The artist used a pantograph to create a larger version of his original sketch.
I want to show Santa some improvements on the pantograph.

The Santa Clause 2 (2002)
The pantograph causes oscillations in the catenary.

Blog text (34)
The vehicle collects electric power through pantographs on the locomotive roofs.

Academic text (1993)
Physionotrace portraits were small-scale engravings produced using a silhouette apparatus and a pantograph.

Academic text (2011)
A pantograph allowed the teacher to enlarge the map so all students could see it clearly.

Surface Forms

pantograph singular

pantographs plural

Morphology

pantograph = panto + graph

This is a learned classical formation from panto- and graph, but the meaning 'a device for copying drawings at a different scale' is not readily inferable for an average learner.

Etymology

The word pantograph comes from the Greek parts pan- meaning 'all' and -graph meaning 'write' or 'draw', the same parts you see in panorama and autograph. So a pantograph is a tool that 'writes' or 'draws' the same picture at different sizes, which is why it copies or makes a drawing larger or smaller.