pantograph
/ˈpantəɡɹɑːf/noun, verb
pantograph is spelled P-A-N-T-O-G-R-A-P-H: 10 letters. It appears about once in every 15 million words in written English, the 115,751st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, pantograph means “A mechanical linkage based on parallelograms causing two objects to move in parallel; notably as a drawing aid” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of pantograph is pantographs.
How many letters and syllables are in pantograph?
| Letters | 10: P-A-N-T-O-G-R-A-P-H |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 15 million words; the 115,751st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is pantograph?
Pantograph appears about once in every 15 million words in written English, the 115,751st most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce pantograph?
- UK /ˈpantəɡɹɑːf/
- UK /ˈpantəɡɹaf/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Neøn-pantograph.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of pantograph
- pantographs plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- pantographing participle, present
- pantographed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does pantograph mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A mechanical linkage based on parallelograms causing two objects to move in parallel; notably as a drawing aid.
A pantograph can be adjusted to make either scaled or exact copies.
- 2
By extension, a structure of crosswise bars linked in such a way that it can extend and compress like an accordion, such as in a pantograph mirror or a scissor lift.
- 3
A pattern printed on a document to reduce the ease of photocopying.
I was impressed by the quality of the pantograph; I hadn't noticed it on the original, but the copies were covered in unpleasant lines.
- 4
A similarly-formed conductive device, now usually Z-shaped, that collects electric current from overhead lines for trains and trams.
verb
- 1
To engrave by means of a pantograph (parallel linkage) system.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate pantograph?
Wiktionary records 2 abbreviations of pantograph: pan, panto.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Pantograph in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | pantographe |
| Spanish | pantógrafo |
| German | Stromabnehmer, Pantograf |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does pantograph come from?
From French pantographe, from panto- (from Ancient Greek παντός (pantós), genitive singular of πᾶν (pân, “all”)), and -graphe (from γράφειν (gráphein, “to write”)).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).