crayon
UK: ˈkreɪ.ɒn | US: ˈkreɪ.ɑːn
n. a stick of colored wax, chalk, or charcoal used for drawing
vt. to draw or color with a crayon
crayon = cray<chalk> + on<noun suffix>
- cray<chalk>: Derived from French craie (chalk), from Latin creta (chalk, clay).
- on: A French diminutive suffix, often used to form nouns.
Etymology Origin:
The word crayon entered English in the 17th century from French, where it originally referred to a pencil or stick of chalk. The Latin root creta (chalk/clay) reflects its early use as a drawing tool made from natural minerals. Over time, crayon specialized to denote colored wax sticks, retaining the core idea of a handheld drawing instrument.
The child drew a rainbow with bright crayons.
She crayoned a sketch of the sunset.
The artist prefers crayons over markers for texture.
He accidentally broke his favorite crayon.
The classroom floor was scattered with crayon shavings.