dowel

[ dou-uhl ]

noun

1. Also called dowel pin. Carpentry. a pin, usually round, fitting into holes in two adjacent pieces to prevent their slipping or to align them.
2. a piece of wood driven into a hole drilled in a masonry wall to receive nails, as for fastening woodwork.
3. a round wooden rod of relatively small diameter.
4. Dentistry. a peg, usually of metal, set into the root canal of a natural tooth to give additional support to an artificial crown.

verb (used with object)

, dow·eled, dow·el·ing or (especially British) dow·elled, dow·el·ling.

1. to reinforce or furnish with a dowel or dowels.

dowel

/ ˈdaʊəl /

noun

1. a wooden or metal peg that fits into two corresponding holes to join two adjacent parts Also calleddowel pin

Other Words From

• un·doweled especially British, un·dowelled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of dowel¹

1300–50; Middle English dowle < Middle Low German dovel plug; compare German Döbel, Dübel, Old High German tubili

Word History and Origins

Origin of dowel¹

C14: from Middle Low German dövel plug, from Old High German tubili; related to Greek thuphos wedge

Example Sentences

At night, Roberts’ mother frequently beat him with a dowel.

From Los Angeles Times

Blessed relief from the lash of the dowel came when Roberts’ parents split.

From Los Angeles Times

In one competition called the “wrist carry,” two teammates hold a stick at each end, while a third person hangs from the dowel by their wrist, legs curled up like a sloth, as their teammates run around an oval track.

From Seattle Times

Use a chopstick or wooden dowel to poke a hole into the side of each doughnut, and as you slide it in, give it a wiggle to create a small pocket in the center of the doughnut.

From Washington Times

By the time she folds it shut with a long wooden dowel, the flatbread is already bubbly and browned.

From Washington Times