crayon

American  

[krey-on, -uhn] / ˈkreɪ ɒn, -ən /

noun

1. a pointed stick or pencil of colored clay, chalk, wax, etc., used for drawing or coloring.

2. a drawing in crayons.

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verb (used with object)

1. to draw or color with a crayon or crayons.

verb (used without object)

1. to make a drawing with crayons.

crayon British  

/ ˈkreɪən, -ɒn /

noun

1. a small stick or pencil of charcoal, wax, clay, or chalk mixed with coloured pigment

2. a drawing made with crayons

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verb

1. to draw or colour with crayons

Other Word Forms

• crayonist noun

Etymology

Origin of crayon

1635–45; < French, equivalent to craie chalk (< Latin crēta clay, chalk) + -on noun suffix

Example Sentences

It features 26 paintings, oil sketches and drawings, these last done in Conté crayon, a medium made from powdered graphite and carbon black that allowed deeper blacks and more expressive tonal contrasts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

Meanwhile, the 2025 novel “Unfit” by Ariana Harwicz, about a mother losing her children in a custody battle, uses erratic crayon scribbles on its cover.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

As freshmen, the teenagers started a political crayon company to encourage voter turnout.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

He jokes that he just adds more “crudely drawn crayon lines and mascara beard” to show his character aging throughout the course of the show.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 13, 2025

In turn, the princess told the mouse fairy tales, drew him pixelated portraits, and made him little crayon drawings.

From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart

Related Words

• pastel