pencil
n. countablen. a thin tool used for writing or drawing. It is usually made of wood with a black or colored center that you can rub out with an eraser.
n. a slender instrument for writing or drawing, consisting of a core of graphite or pigment encased in wood or plastic.
I need a sharp pencil to finish my drawing.
The student reached into her bag for a pencil to mark the correct answers on the test paper.
Architects often prefer the tactile feedback of a soft lead pencil when sketching initial concepts, as it allows for a range of line weights that digital tools struggle to replicate.
From Anglo-Norman and Old French pincil (see the variant pincel, which gave rise to Modern French pinceau (“paintbrush”)), from Latin pēnicillum, diminutive of pēniculus (“brush”), itself a diminutive of pēnis (“tail; penis”). Not related to pen.
Commonly used with the verbs 'sharpen' or 'erase'.