pencil

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pencil artist's paint brush XIV; writing implement of black lead, chalk, etc.; set of convergent rays XVII; set of straight lines meeting in a point XIX. ME. pensel, -cel — OF. pincel (mod. pinceau):- Gallo-Rom. *pēnicellum, for L. pēnicillum paint brush, dim. of pēniculus brush, dim. of pēnis tail, PENIS; see -CULE.
Hence pencil vb. XVI.

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