pawl

plural pawls · alternative pall

1. A pivoted catch designed to fall into a notch on a ratchet wheel so as to allow movement in only one direction (e.g. on a windlass or in a clock mechanism), or alternatively to move the wheel in one direction.

   The nails in the rim of the wheel went ratcheting over the leather pawl and the wheel slowed and came to a stop and the woman turned to the crowd and smiled.

   1994, Cormac McCarthy, The Crossing

   1 more example

   A pawl is a sort of catch that fits into a ratchet wheel and pushes it around, or it may be used as a catch to prevent the backward motion of a windlass or the wheel on a derrick.

   1910, Victor Appleton, Tom Swift and his Motorcycle

2. A similar device to prevent motion in other mechanisms besides ratchets.

present singular third person pawls · participle present pawling · participle past pawled · past pawled · alternative pall

1. transitiveTo stop with a pawl.

plural pawls

1. alternativeAlternative form of paul (“kind of tent”).