noun
easel
EE-zl
noun
1
A stand, usually with three legs, used to hold up a canvas or board for painting or display.
"The artist set up her easel by the window to catch the light."
"A wedding photo sat on an easel near the entrance."
How to Use Easel
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe stand artists use to hold a canvas upright while they paint.
Word Forms
easels plural
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The artist set up her _____ by the window to catch the light.
Etymology
From Dutch ezel, meaning "donkey" — the stand was jokingly compared to a beast of burden holding up a load, much like "sawhorse" or "clotheshorse."