awl

¹

[ awl ]

noun

1. a pointed instrument for piercing small holes in leather, wood, etc.

A.W.L.

²

or a.w.l.

abbreviation for

1. absent with leave.

awl

/ ɔːl /

noun

1. a pointed hand tool with a fluted blade used for piercing wood, leather, etc See also bradawl

Word History and Origins

Origin of awl¹

before 900; Middle English al, eal, aul, Old English al, eal, æl; cognate with Old Norse alr; akin to Middle English ēl, Old English ǣl, Old High German āla ( German Ahle ), Sanskrit ā́rā

Word History and Origins

Origin of awl¹

Old English ǣl; related to Old Norse alr, Old High German āla, Dutch aal, Sanskrit ārā

Example Sentences

She also had silver earplugs threaded through with silver hoops, an awl covered in silver—and a companion: a middle-age man laid to rest in the same jar with a fraction of her wealth.

From Science Magazine

Back in 2016, Kelly Conaboy wrote for The Awl: "What does a bay leaf taste like? Nothing. What does a bay leaf smell like? Nothing. What does a bay leaf look like? A leaf."

From Salon

"I do think that it is a potent form of aromatic, very necessary for soups, stews and braises," Chef Sohui Kim tills Conaboy for The Awl.

From Salon

"Wagner is not a piece of slippery soap which the bureaucrats have got used to shoving all over the place; Wagner is an awl, a stiletto that you cannot hide," Prigozhin said.

From Reuters

But the rivalry, and the intensity of feeling that spawned both it and the anonymous letter to the Awl, never really comes alive on the page.

From Washington Post