easel
UK /ˈiː.z(ə)l/ · US /ˈi.zəl/ noun
Forms easels
- noun An upright frame, typically on three legs, for displaying or supporting something, such as an artist's canvas.
Etymology
Borrowed from Dutch ezel (“donkey; easel”), from Middle Dutch esel (“donkey”), from Proto-West Germanic *asil, from Latin asellus (“young ass or small donkey”), diminutive of asinus (“ass, donkey”), ultimately from an unknown source in Asia Minor. Essentially, the stand that a painting is placed on is being likened to a donkey carrying a burden; compare horse (“a frame with legs used to support something”), as in clotheshorse and sawhorse.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A frame (commonly) of wood serving to hold a canvas upright, or nearly upright, for the painter's convenience or for exhibition.
Etymology [D. ezel ass, donkey, hence, easel, or G. esel; akin to E. ass. See Ass.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “easel”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details