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

"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

With a screwdriver or an awl, poke into the wood; if it goes in more than ⅛ inch, rot has probably begun.

From Washington Post

And maybe — maybe — she doesn’t get the awl.

From New York Times

Smith’s attorney states that newly available touch DNA technology allowed the previously impossible analysis of evidence left on an awl — a leatherworking tool similar to an icepick — that was found at the crime scene.

From Seattle Times