Also 7 crion, cryon, 8 craon, craion. [a. F. crayon, deriv. of craie:—L. crēta chalk.]
1. A pointed stick or pencil of colored chalk or other material, for drawing.
1644. Evelyn, Diary (1871), 69. The prospect was so tempting that I designed it with my crayon.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 145/2. Crions [are] either White or Red Chalk cut into long pieces, and made sharp at the end to draw withall.
1719. J. Richardson, Art Criticism, 174. If … what was done in Oyl is imitated with … Crayons.
1759. Phil. Trans., LI. 185. He wrote his name … with a craion.
1823. J. Badcock, Dom. Amusem., 142. Lithographic Crayons … may be used as pencils upon the stone.
1860. Ruskin, Mod. Paint., V. Pref. 6, note. Chalk débris, black and white, broken off the crayons with which Turner had drawn.
b. In crayon(s: usually said of a design drawn with a crayon or crayons; also an artist in crayons, etc. (Cf. in colors, in oils.)
1663. Pepys, Diary, 15 May. Sir Thomas showed me his picture … in crayon in little, done exceedingly well.
1681. Lond. Gaz., No. 1636/8. Another Picture in Red Cryon upon white Paper.
1758. Johnson, Idler, No. 64, ¶ 4. A wonderful performer in crayons.
1859. L. Oliphant, China & Japan, II. viii. 181. Sketches of groups of horses in crayon.
2. transf. A drawing in crayons. † b. fig. A work not carried out in detail, a ‘sketch.’
1662. Evelyn, Chalcogr., A v b. Collecting the Crayons, Prints, Designs.
1787. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1859), II. 247. It is a poor crayon, which yourself … must fill up.
1883. Pall Mall Gaz., 12 May Supp. The gallery of large photographs and crayons.
3. A carbon point in an electric arc lamp.
4. attrib. and Comb., as crayon-box, -board (see quot.), -draft, -holder, -sketch.
1706. Art of Painting (1744), 398. His crayon-drafts are also admirable.
1847. Todd, Cycl. Anat., III. 347/1. Instruments resembling crayon-holders.
c. 1865. J. Wylde, in Circ. Sc., I. 191/2. Insert in each crayon-holder a piece of … charcoal.
1880. Webster, Supp., Crayon-board, thick drawing-paper, or cardboard for drawing.
1883. G. Lloyd, Ebb & Flow, II. 98. She was confronted by Frank’s original crayon sketch of her.
