Real Dictionary

stencil
countable noun: A stencil is a piece of paper, plastic, or metal which has a design cut out of it. You place the stencil on a surface and paint it so that paint goes through the holes and leaves a design on the surface.
verb: If you stencil a design or if you stencil a surface with a design, you put a design on a surface using a stencil.

stencil in American English
a thin sheet, as of paper, metal, or impermeable film, with holes cut through in the shape of letters or designs: when ink, paint, etc. is spread over the stencil, the letters or designs are marked on the surface beneath
to make, mark, or paint with a stencil
noun: a device for applying a pattern, design, words, etc., to a surface, consisting of a thin sheet of cardboard, metal, or other material from which figures or letters have been cut out, a coloring substance, ink, etc., being rubbed, brushed, or pressed over
transitive verb: to mark or paint (a surface) by means of a stencil

stencil in British English
noun: a device for applying a design, characters, etc, to a surface, consisting of a thin sheet of plastic, metal, cardboard, etc, in which the design or characters have been cut so that ink or paint can be applied through the incisions onto the surface
verb: to mark (a surface) with a stencil