easel /ˈiːzl 
/ ▸ noun a wooden frame for holding an artist's work while it is being painted or drawn: I set up my easel on the beach and began to paint.
– ORIGIN late 16th century: from Dutch ezel ‘ass’. The word ‘horse’ is used in English in a similar way to denote a supporting frame.
EnglishOxford Dictionary of English
