stencil
n.n. a flat object with holes or cut-out shapes that you press onto a surface to leave a pattern. You use it to paint or mark things in a regular way.
n. a flat object with a design cut out of it, used to apply a pattern to a surface by pressing it against it. Often used in art, construction, or industrial manufacturing to ensure consistent shapes.
She used a stencil to paint the same pattern on every wall.
The artist applied a stencil to the pavement and sprayed paint to create a large, colorful mural.
By using a laser-cut stencil, the manufacturer ensured that every metal component received the exact same decorative engraving without manual error.
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.