Definition

A decorative sticker or design that can be transferred to a surface, often used for decoration or labeling.

Example

She put a colorful decal of a butterfly on her laptop.

Conversation

Have you seen the new decal I put on my laptop?

Yeah, it looks awesome! Where did you get it?

I found it online; they have a ton of cool decals to choose from.

I might need to get one for my phone, too!

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Decal comes from the French word 'décalcomanie', which is a combination of 'dé-' (meaning off) and 'calquer' (meaning to trace or copy). The word refers to the process of transferring a design from one surface to another, effectively 'taking off' a design to apply it elsewhere.

Memory Tip

Think of 'taking off' a design ('dé-') to 'trace' it ('calquer') onto another surface — that's how you remember that a decal is a design transferred from one place to another.

Visually Confused Words