gavel

English

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈɡa.vəl/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈɡæ.vəl/
  • Audio (US)(file)

Etymology 1

From Middle English gavel, from Old English gafol, from Proto-Germanic *gabulą, from Proto-Germanic *gebaną (“to give”), equivalent to give +‎ -el.

Noun

gavel (plural gavels)

  1. (historical) Rent.
  2. (obsolete) Usury; interest on money.

Etymology 2

Origin obscure. Perhaps alteration of cavel (“a stone mason's hammer”). More at cavel.

Noun

gavel (plural gavels)

  1. A wooden mallet, used by a courtroom judge (not UK), or by a committee chairman, struck against a sounding block to quieten those present, or by an auctioneer to accept the highest bid at auction.
  2. (figuratively) The legal system as a whole (not UK).
  3. A mason's setting maul.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Knight to this entry?)
Translations

Verb

gavel (third-person singular simple present gavels, present participle gaveling or gavelling, simple past and past participle gaveled or gavelled)

  1. To use a gavel.
    The judge gavelled for order in the courtroom after the defendant burst out with a confession.
Usage notes
Translations

Etymology 3

Old French gavelle, French javelle, probably diminutive from Latin capulus (“handle”), from capere (“to lay hold of, seize”); or compare Welsh gafael (“hold, grasp”). Compare heave.

Noun

gavel (plural gavels)

  1. A small heap of grain, not tied up into a bundle.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Wright to this entry?)

Etymology 4

Noun

gavel (plural gavels)

  1. A gable.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Halliwell to this entry?)

Anagrams

Swedish

Noun

gavel c

  1. a gable, a short wall of a building

Declension

Declension of gavel 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative gavel gaveln gavlar gavlarna
Genitive gavels gavelns gavlars gavlarnas
  • husgavel
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