gavel

G2A1V4E1L1
UK/ˈɡa.vəl/US/ˈɡæ.vəl/

noun

Rent.

OriginMiddle English gavel ← Old English gafol ← Proto-West Germanic *gabul →
Less commonScrabble 9
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Meanings

gavel1

noungavel (countable and uncountable, plural gavels)

plural gavels

  1. countablehistoricaluncountableRent.
  2. countableobsoleteuncountableUsury; interest on money.
  3. countablehistoricaluncountableAn old Saxon and Welsh form of tenure by which an estate passed, on the holder's death, to all the sons equally; also called gavelkind.
verbgavel (third-person singular simple present gavels, present participle (US) gaveling or (UK) gavelling, simple past and past participle (US) gaveled or (UK) gavelled)

present singular third person gavels · US participle present gaveling · UK participle present gavelling · US participle past gaveled · US past gaveled · UK participle past gavelled · UK past gavelled

  1. transitiveTo divide or distribute according to the gavel system.

gavel2

noungavel (plural gavels)

plural gavels

  1. 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.
    1 more example

    More than three decades later, Ms. Pelosi is all but assured on Thursday of reclaiming her former title as speaker of the House, the first lawmaker in more than half a century to hold the office twice. With the gavel in hand, she will cement her status as the highest-ranking and most powerful elected woman in American political history.

    2019 January 2, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, “Nancy Pelosi, Icon of Female Power, Will Reclaim Role as Speaker and Seal a Place in History”, in New York Times
  2. USmetonymicallyThe beginning or end of legal proceedings.
  3. USmetonymicallyThe legal system as a whole.
  4. A mason's setting maul.
verbgavel (third-person singular simple present gavels, present participle (US) gaveling or (UK) gavelling, simple past and past participle (US) gaveled or (UK) gavelled)

present singular third person gavels · US participle present gaveling · UK participle present gavelling · US participle past gaveled · US past gaveled · UK participle past gavelled · UK past gavelled

  1. To use a gavel.
  2. To begin or end legal proceedings

    The judge gavelled for order in the courtroom after the defendant burst out with a confession.

gavel3

noungavel (plural gavels)

plural gavels

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

    The combination with a mechanical rake of the roof or screen herein described, or the equivalent thereof, to intervene and keep the gavel of grain collected on the platform separated during its discharge

    1857, United States Patent Office, Commissioner of Patents Annual Report

gavel4

noungavel (plural gavels)

plural gavels

  1. ScotlandarchaicarchitectureA gable.

Origin

gavel · noun, verb

  1. Proto-Germanic*gebaną“to give”
  2. Proto-West Germanic*gabul
  3. Old Englishgafol
  4. Middle Englishgavel
  5. Englishgavel

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

More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic

Full word history & related roots →

gavel · noun, verb

  1. Old Norsekefli“a piece of wood, stick, cylinder, mangle”
  2. Middle Englishkevel“a mason's hammer”
  3. Englishgavel

Origin obscure. Possibly an alteration of dialectal cavel, a variant of kevel (“a stone mason's axe with a flat face, a cleat or bollard”), from Middle English kevel (“a mason's hammer”), from Old Norse kefli (“a piece of wood, stick, cylinder, mangle”). Cognate with Norwegian kjevle (“rolling pin”).

More words from Middle English, Old Norse

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gavel · noun

  1. Latincapulus“handle”
  2. Old Frenchgavelle
  3. Englishgavel

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

More words from Old French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Czech kladívko
  • kladívkowooden mallet
Finnish nuija, puheenjohtajan nuija
  • nuijawooden mallet
  • puheenjohtajan nuijawooden mallet
  • nuijiato use a gavel
French marteau
  • marteauwooden mallet
German Hammer, Richterhammer
  • Hammerwooden mallet
  • Richterhammerwooden mallet
  • Auktionshammerwooden mallet
Italian mazzuolo
  • mazzuolowooden mallet
Japanese 小槌
  • 小槌 (kozuchi)wooden mallet
Romanian ciocănel n ciocan, ciocăni
  • ciocănel n ciocanwooden mallet
  • ciocănito use a gavel
  • lovi cu ciocanulto use a gavel
Russian деревя́нный молоток m)
  • деревя́нный молоток m) (molotok)wooden mallet
Spanish mazo, martillo
  • mazowooden mallet
  • martillowooden mallet
  • dar mazazosto use a gavel
  • dar martillazosto use a gavel
Swedish klubba, ordförandeklubba
  • klubbawooden mallet
  • ordförandeklubbawooden mallet
Turkish tokmak, hâkim tokmağı
  • tokmakwooden mallet
  • hâkim tokmağıwooden mallet
  • yargıç tokmağıwooden mallet
Yiddish העמערל
  • העמערל (hemerl)wooden mallet
Cite this entry
APA

gavel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gavel

MLA

“gavel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gavel. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gavel,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gavel.

Source: gavel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.