GAVEL

gavel

(noun) a small mallet used by a presiding officer or a judge

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology 1

Noun

gavel (countable and uncountable, plural gavels)

(historical) Rent.

(obsolete) Usury; interest on money.

(historical) An old Saxon and Welsh form of tenure by which an estate passed, on the holder's death, to all the sons equally.

Verb

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

(transitive) To divide or distribute according to the gavel system.

Etymology 2

Noun

gavel (plural gavels)

A wooden mallet, used by a courtroom judge, 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.

(metonymically, chiefly, US) The legal system as a whole.

A mason's setting maul.

Verb

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

To use a gavel.

Usage notes

• In US English, the participles are gaveled and gaveling; in British English they are gavelled and gavelling.

Etymology 3

Noun

gavel (plural gavels)

A small heap of grain, not tied up into a bundle.

Etymology 4

Noun

gavel (plural gavels)

(Scotland, architecture) A gable.

Anagrams

• glave

Source: Wiktionary

Gav"el, n.

Definition: A gable. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Gav"el, n. Etym: [OF. gavelle, F. javelle, prob. dim. from L. capulus handle, fr. capere to lay hold of, seize; or cf. W. gafael hold, grasp. Cf. Heave.]

Definition: A small heap of grain, not tied up into a bundle. Wright.

Gav"el, n. Etym: [Etymol. uncertain.]

1. The mallet of the presiding officer in a legislative body, public assembly, court, masonic body, etc.

2. A mason's setting maul. Knight.

Gav"el, n. Etym: [OF. gavel, AS. gafol, prob. fr. gifan to give. See Give, and cf. Gabel tribute.] (Law)

Definition: Tribute; toll; custom. [Obs.] See Gabel. Cowell.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition