red-pencil

[ red-pen-suh l ]
/ ˈrɛdˈpɛn səl /

verb (used with object), red-pen·ciled, red-pen·cil·ing or (especially British) red-pen·cilled, red-pen·cil·ling.

to delete, censor, correct, or abridge (written material) with or as if with a pencil having a red lead: His book was heavily red-penciled before it got clearance.

Origin of red-pencil

First recorded in 1955–60

Words nearby red-pencil

red-letter, red-letter day, red-light, red-light district, red-osier dogwood, red-pencil, red-short, red-shouldered hawk, red-spotted purple, red-tag, red-tailed hawk

Example sentences from the Web for red-pencil

  • He handed a map, with red-pencil and blue-pencil markings, along to von Schlichten.

    Uller Uprising |Henry Beam Piper, John D. Clark and John F. Carr

  • He tore it up to light his pipe, and, just as he was twisting it, caught sight of a red-pencil mark.

    Rene Mauperin |Edmond de Goncourt and Jules de Goncourt

British Dictionary definitions for red-pencil

red-pencil

verb -cils, -cilling or -cilled or US -cils, -ciling or -ciled

(tr) to revise or correct (a book, manuscript, etc)