different between stencil vs scintilla

English

Etymology

Likely a nominalization of Middle English stencellen (“to garnish with bright hues”), borrowed from Middle French estinceller (“to glisten”), from Old French estenceler (“to spark”), from Old French estencele (“spark”), from Vulgar Latin *stincilla, from metathesis of Latin scintilla (“spark”).

The verb is from the noun.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?st?ns?l/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?st?ns?l/
• Rhymes: -?ns?l

Noun

stencil (plural stencils)

1. A thin sheet, either perforated or using some other technique, with which a pattern may be produced upon a surface.
2. A utensil that contains a perforated sheet through which ink can be forced to create a printed pattern on a surface.
3. A two-ply master sheet for use with a mimeograph.

Derived terms

• stencil art
• stencil buffer
• stencil duplicator

Translations

See also

• pochoir

Verb

stencil (third-person singular simple present stencils, present participle (UK) stencilling or (US) stenciling, simple past and past participle (UK) stencilled or (US) stenciled)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To print with a stencil.

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “stencil”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

Further reading

• stencil on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons

Anagrams

• clients, lectins, scilent

English

Etymology

Existing in English since the 17th century; borrowed from Latin scintilla (“spark”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /s?n?t?l?/
• Rhymes: -?l?

Noun

scintilla (plural scintillae or scintillas)

1. A small spark or flash.
   • 1890, Philosophical Magazine, page 364,

     If the action of the electrodynamic waves is so violent that, even without artificial electrification of the secondary conductor, scintillæ occur in its spark-gap, the aluminium leaves remain almost without change.

2. (figuratively) A small or trace amount.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:modicum

   • 1876 February, John Tyndall, The Controversy on Acoustical Research, Popular Science Monthly,

     And, if I except the sagacious remark of General Duane which has been so curtly brushed aside, not a scintilla of light has been cast upon these causes by any researches ever published by the Lighthouse Board of Washington.

   • 1878 April, John Tyndall, Illustrations of the Logic of Science IV, Popular Science Monthly,

     Now, it may be we have no scintilla of proof to the contrary, but reason is unnecessary in reference to that belief which is of all the most settled, which nobody doubts or can doubt, and which he who should deny would stultify himself in so doing.

   • 1990, William J. Brennan, Jr., Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Department of Health: Dissent Brennan, United States Supreme Court,

     Current medical practice recommends use of heroic measures if there is a scintilla of a chance that the patient will recover, on the assumption that the measures will be discontinued should the patient improve.

Related terms

• scintilla juris
• scintillate
• scintillation
• scintillator
• shine
• stencil
• tinsel

Translations

Further reading

• “scintilla”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.
• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “scintilla”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

References

Anagrams

• Scillitan

French

Verb

scintilla

1. third-person singular past historic of scintiller

Italian

Etymology

From Latin scintilla.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?in?til.la/

Noun

scintilla f (plural scintille)

1. spark

Verb

scintilla

1. third-person singular present of scintillare
2. second-person singular imperative of scintillare

Further reading

• scintilla in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Latin

Etymology

Most likely from Proto-Indo-European *ski-nto-, from *skey-, *ski- (“to gleam, shine”), which is the source of English shine.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /skin?til.la/, [s?k?n??t??l??ä]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /?in?til.la/, [?in??t?il??]

Noun

scintilla f (genitive scintillae); first declension

1. spark
   • Quintus Curtius Rufus, Historiarum Alexandri Magni Macedonis Libri Qui Supersunt; Book VI, Chapter III

     Parva saepe scintilla contempta magnum excitavit incendium.

     A small spark neglected has often roused to a great inferno.

2. glimmer

Declension

First-declension noun.

Derived terms

• scintill?

Descendants

• ? Vulgar Latin: *scintilia
  • ? Albanian: shkëndijë
  • Aromanian: scãntealji
  • Romanian: scânteie
• ? Vulgar Latin: *stincilla
  • Old French: estancele
    • Middle French: estincelle
      • ? English: tinsel
      • French: étincelle
• ? English: scintilla
• ? Italian: scintilla
• Old Leonese:
  • Asturian: centella
• Old Occitan:
  • Catalan: centella
• Old Portuguese: centella
  • Portuguese: centelha
• Old Spanish:
  • Spanish: centella
• Sardinian: schinchidha, scincidha
• Venetian: s-ciantixo, sciantizha, sinti?a

References

• scintilla in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• scintilla in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• scintilla in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)