French word

crayon

Pronunciation

IPA/kʁɛjɔ̃/

Meaning

  • masculine nounpencil

Example

Donne-moi un crayon, s'il te plaît.

Please give me a pencil.

Illustration for crayon (pencil)

More examples

Il a oublié son crayon à papier chez moi.

He forgot his pencil at my house.

Core concept

A hand-held stick with a protected core creates controlled marks on a sheet without using liquid ink.

Common phrases

  • un crayon à papier

    pencil

  • un crayon de couleur

    colored pencil

  • tailler son crayon

    sharpen one's pencil

Similar words

crayon à papier: A pencil with a graphite core for writing or drawing on paper.
feutre: A felt-tip tool that uses ink to draw lines or add color on paper.
stylo: An ink-filled writing tool for writing words or drawing lines.

Definition in French

Désigne un instrument muni d'une mine, généralement de graphite, enfermé dans un corps (souvent en bois) et servant à tracer des lignes sur du papier.

Word origin

French formed crayon from Old French craie, chalk, and the diminutive ending -on; its meaning extended from a small chalk stick to a pencil.

Usage tips

  • The phrase crayon de couleur identifies a colored pencil, whereas crayon alone normally refers to a graphite pencil.

Other meanings

  • crayonnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • crayonnerdraw in pencilverb
  • crayonnépenciledadjective

Word lists with this word