Also 8 stanesile, 9 † stensil. [In 18th c. stanesile, app. f. ME. stansel vb., to ornament with various colors: see STENCIL v. 1.]
1. A thin sheet of metal, cardboard, etc., in which one or more holes have been cut, of such shape that when a brush charged with pigment is passed over the back of the sheet, a desired pattern, letter or figure is produced on the surface upon which the sheet is laid.
1707. Phil. Trans., XXV. 2398. They colour them [playing cards] by the help of several Patterns or Stanesiles, as they call them; they are Card Paper cut thro’ with a Penknife, for every Colour, as Red, &c.
1816. Singer, Hist. Cards, 75, note. Savary describes the Indian mode of printing cottons, which he says is by means of a perforated pattern, or stensil.
1848. Chatto, Hist. Cards, 89. That those cards were depicted by means of a stencil is evident.
1868. W. Sutherland, Pract. Guide Ho. Decoration, 16. When the pattern is very small and intricate, it is best to cut a separate stencil for each colour.
1884. A. F. Oakey, in Harper’s Mag., March, 583/1. Fig. 6 is a treatment produced by three stencils, not reversed, but reduplicated [etc.].
2. A pattern or design produced by stencilling.
1899. R. Kipling, Stalky & Co., 105. He looked regretfully round the cosy study which M‘Turk … had decorated with a dado, a stencil, and cretonne hangings.
3. The coloring matter used in stencilling. Also (Ceramics), a composition used in transfer-printing and enamelling, to protect from the oil those portions of the pattern that are to be left uncolored.
1853. Ure, Dict. Arts, II. 454. s.v., Porcelain, The stencil (generally a mixture of rose-pink, sugar, and water) is laid on in the form desired with a pencil.
1859. in Abridgm. Specif. Patents, Printing, 397. The article is then fired with the stencil on. The stencil is rubbed off on its leaving the kiln.
4. attrib. and Comb., as stencil alphabet, design, letter, pattern; stencil-brush, the brush used in stencilling; stencil-cutter, (a) a person who makes stencils; (b) a tool for cutting letters, etc., out of stencil-plates (Knight); stencil-painting vbl. sb., decorating by means of stencils; stencil-paper = sense 1; stencil-paste, the composition used in stencilling; stencil-plate = sense 1.
1866. W. F. Stanley, Math. Instrum., 227. Plain *stencil alphabets.
1868. W. Sutherland, Pract. Guide Ho. Decoration, 15. Now dip the *stencil brush into colour.
1858. Simmonds, Dict. Trade, *Stencil-cutter, a person who pierces patterns, letters, or ornaments, on thin metal plates, or on oil-cloth, etc. for the use of a stenciller.
1888. Lady, 25 Oct., 374/2. Deepen the tint, and in dark red, wash in the *stencil designs.
1866. W. F. Stanley, Math. Instrum., 227. One of the most imperfect *stencil letters.
1845. G. Dodd, Brit. Manuf., IV. 133. The method of *‘stencil-painting.’
1868. W. Sutherland, Pract. Guide Ho. Decoration, 13. The *stencil paper being prepared, trace the design upon it.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., 2374/2. The ink used is known as *stencil-paste, and is essentially a water-color.
1868. W. Sutherland, Pract. Guide Ho. Decoration, 12. *Stencil patterns play a very important part in house decoration.
1816. Singer, Hist. Cards, 178. The artist is using a *stencil plate and broad flat brush.
1873. E. Spon, Workshop Rec., Ser. I. 7/1. Copper is much better than brass for stencil plates.
