stencil Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a sheet of material (metal, plastic, cardboard, waxed paper, silk, etc.) that has been perforated with a pattern (printing or a design); ink or paint can pass through the perforations to create the printed pattern on the surface below
  2. verb mark or print with a stencil

WordNet

Sten"cil noun
Etymology
Probably from OF. estincelle spangle, spark, F. étincelle spark, L. scintilla. See Scintillate, and cf. Tinsel.
Definitions
  1. A thin plate of metal, leather, or other material, used in painting, marking, etc. The pattern is cut out of the plate, which is then laid flat on the surface to be marked, and the color brushed over it. Called also stencil plate.
Sten"cil transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Stenciled or Stencilled; present participle & verbal noun Stenciling or Stencilling
Definitions
  1. To mark, paint, or color in figures with stencils; to form or print by means of a stencil.

Webster 1913