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



RESET




Word of the Day

23 December 2024

QUANDONG

(noun) Australian tree having hard white timber and glossy green leaves with white flowers followed by one-seeded glossy blue fruit


Do you know this game?

Wordscapes

Wordscapes is a popular word game consistently in the top charts of both Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The Android version has more than 10 million installs. This guide will help you get more coins in less than two minutes of playing the game. Continue reading Wordscapes: Get More Coins