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
An awl is a tool with a long, sharp end for making holes in leather or wood. If your uncle is a shoemaker, an awl might be the perfect gift for him. It looks kind of like an ice pick, but an awl is a tool used by shoemakers, carpenters and other craftsmen who need to punch small holes through leather or wood. If your shoes were made by hand, chances are all those little holes where the laces go through were made with the use of an awl.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"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 • Sep. 13, 2023
In 2015, an anonymous writer sent a letter to the advice columnist of the Awl, a now-defunct blog founded by two former editors of Gawker.
From Washington Post • Apr. 21, 2023
Stillman, a freelance journalist who has written for Gothamist and the Awl among others, declined comment when reached by telephone Wednesday night.
From The Guardian • Feb. 7, 2019
And by way of introduction: Choire was previously the head of partnerships at Vox Media — and, before that, the editor of Gawker and a co-founder of The Awl.
From New York Times • Oct. 26, 2017
What could the subject be to rouse such enthusiasm in the Associated Brotherhood of the Awl, the Plane and the Trowel?
From Initials Only by Green, Anna Katharine
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
