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• awl
  awl

  noun

  a pointed instrument for piercing small holes in leather, wood, etc.
• A.W.L.
  A.W.L.

  abbreviation

  absent with leave.

awl

¹ American  

[awl] / ɔl /

noun

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

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A.W.L. ² American  

Or a.w.l.

abbreviation

1. absent with leave.

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awl British  

/ ɔːl /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of awl

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

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

"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

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 • Apr. 21, 2023

“One of the defining characteristics of dads,” wrote Silvia Killingsworth on the Awl in 2016, “is that they’ve just … always been that way, for as long as we can remember.”

From Slate • Dec. 16, 2019

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

Maybe shoo thinks to stop mi folly, An let me taste o' melancholy; But just to spite her awl be jolly,          An say mi say; Awl fire away another volley          Tho' shoo says "Nay."

From Yorkshire Lyrics Poems written in the Dialect as Spoken in the West Riding of Yorkshire. To which are added a Selection of Fugitive Verses not in the Dialect by Hartley, John