dowel
Meanings
Plural: dowels
Noun
- a fastener that is inserted into holes in two adjacent pieces and holds them together
- A pin, or block, of wood or metal, fitting into holes in the abutting portions of two pieces, and being partly in one piece and partly in the other, to keep them in their proper relative position.
- A wooden rod, as one to make short pins from.
- A piece of wood or similar material fitted into a surface not suitable for fastening so that other pieces may be fastened to it.
Verb
- To fasten together with dowels.
- To furnish with dowels.
Origin / Etymology
From Middle English dowle, dule, of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Old French doelle (“the hollow part of a tool where the handle is”), from Frankish *duli (“hollow tube, pipe”), from Proto-Germanic *dulją (“pipe”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰel- (“curvature, hollow”). If so, then cognate with French douelle, douille.
Alternatively from Middle Low German dövel (“peg, plug”), from Old Saxon *dubil, from Proto-Germanic *dubilaz. If so, then cognate with Dutch deuvel (“wooden peg”), German Dübel (“dowel”).
Synonyms
dowel pin, joggle
Scrabble Score: 9
dowel is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL worddowel is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
dowel is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary