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gav·el¹

(găvəl)

1. A small mallet, especially:

a. One that a judge or presiding officer raps to signal for order.

b. One that an auctioneer raps to mark the end of a transaction.

2. A maul used by masons in fitting stones.

tr.v. gav·eled, gav·el·ing, gav·els also gav·elled or gav·el·ling

To bring about or compel by using a gavel: "The chairman ... tries to gavel the demonstration to an end" (New Yorker).

[Origin unknown.]

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gavel1

gav·el²

(găvəl)

Tribute or rent in ancient and medieval England.

[Middle English, from Old English gafol; see ghabh- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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