Adjacent Words

Trowel definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

TROW'EL, n. [L. trulla.]
1. A mason's tool, used in spreading and dressing mortar, and breaking bricks to shape them.
2. A gardener's tool, somewhat like a trowel, made of iron and scooped; used in taking up plants and for other purposes.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a small hand tool with a handle and flat metal blade; used for scooping or spreading plaster or similar materials v
1: use a trowel on; for light garden work or plaster work

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English truel, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin truella, from Latin trulla ladle Date: 13th century any of various hand tools used to apply, spread, shape, or smooth loose or plastic material; also a scoop-shaped or flat-bladed garden tool for taking up and setting small plants II. transitive verb (-eled or -elled; -eling or -elling) Date: circa 1670 to smooth, mix, or apply with or as if with a trowel • troweler noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a small hand-held tool with a flat pointed blade, used to apply and spread mortar etc. 2 a similar tool with a curved scoop for lifting plants or earth. --v.tr. (trowelled, trowelling; US troweled, troweling) 1 apply (plaster etc.). 2 dress (a wall etc.) with a trowel. Etymology: ME f. OF truele f. med.L truella f. L trulla scoop, dimin. of trua ladle etc.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Trowel Trow"el, n. [OE. truel, OF. truele, F. truelle, LL. truella, L. trulla, dim. of trua a ladle; probably akin to Gr. ? a stirrer, ladle, G. quirl a stirrer, MHG. twirel, OHG. dwiril, Icel. [thorn]vara, AS. [thorn]wiril. Cf. Twirl.] 1. A mason's tool, used in spreading and dressing mortar, and breaking bricks to shape them. 2. A gardener's tool, somewhat like a scoop, used in taking up plants, stirring the earth, etc. 3. (Founding) A tool used for smoothing a mold. Trowel bayonet. See Spade bayonet, under Spade. Fish trowel. See Fish slice, under Fish.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(trowels) 1. A trowel is a small garden tool which you use for digging small holes or removing weeds. N-COUNT 2. A trowel is a small tool with a flat blade that you use for spreading things such as cement and plaster onto walls and other surfaces. N-COUNT