dowel

1 of 2

noun

dow·​el ˈdau̇(-ə)l How to pronounce dowel (audio)
1
: a pin fitting into a hole in an abutting piece to prevent motion or slipping
also : a round rod or stick used especially for cutting up into dowels
2
: a piece of wood driven into a wall so that other pieces can be nailed to it

dowel

2 of 2

verb

dowelled also doweled; dowelling also doweling

transitive verb

: to fasten by or furnish with dowels

Examples of dowel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Nelsen’s costume — which was made out of trash bags, a wooden dowel, a styrofoam ball and other materials — had as much, if not more, thought put into it. Peter Breen, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2024 Grab a six-pack of wooden dowels from Amazon or just get single wooden dowels from Joann. Christopher Murray, Fox News, 24 Oct. 2024
Verb
What is the difference between a French rolling pin and dowel rolling pin? Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2024 Tie the other end of the string to a wooden stick or dowel. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 July 2022 See all Example Sentences for dowel 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dowel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English dowle; akin to Old High German tubili plug, Late Greek typhos wedge

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1713, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dowel was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near dowel

Cite this Entry

“Dowel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dowel. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

dowel

1 of 2 noun
dow·​el ˈdau̇(-ə)l How to pronounce dowel (audio)
: a pin or peg used for fastening together two pieces of wood
also : a round rod or stick used especially for cutting up into dowels

dowel

2 of 2 verb
dowelled also doweled; dowelling also doweling
: to fasten by dowels

More from Merriam-Webster on dowel

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