trowel

American  

[trou-uhl] / ˈtraʊ əl /

noun

trowels plural

1. any of various tools having a flat blade with a handle, used for depositing and working mortar, plaster, etc.

2. a similar tool with a curved, scooplike blade, used in gardening for taking up plants, turning up earth, etc.

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verb (used with object)

trowels, present (3rd person singular) troweled, past participle, past trowelled, past participle, past troweling, present participle trowelling present participle

1. to apply, shape, smooth, or dig with or as if with a trowel.

trowel British  

/ ˈtraʊəl /

noun

1. any of various small hand tools having a flat metal blade attached to a handle, used for scooping or spreading plaster or similar materials

2. a similar tool with a curved blade used by gardeners for lifting plants, etc

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verb

1. (tr) to use a trowel on (plaster, soil, etc)

trowel Idioms  

1. see under lay it on thick.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• troweler
  noun
• troweller
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• trowels
  plural

Participles

• troweling
  present
• trowelling
  present
• troweled
  past
• trowelled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• trowel
  simple
• trowels
  simple
• have troweled
  perfect
• have trowelled
  perfect
• has troweled
  perfect
• has trowelled
  perfect
• am troweling
  progressive
• am trowelling
  progressive
• are troweling
  progressive
• are trowelling
  progressive
• is troweling
  progressive
• is trowelling
  progressive
• have been troweling
  perfect progressive
• have been trowelling
  perfect progressive
• has been troweling
  perfect progressive
• has been trowelling
  perfect progressive

Past

• troweled
  simple
• trowelled
  simple
• had troweled
  perfect
• had trowelled
  perfect
• was troweling
  progressive
• was trowelling
  progressive
• were troweling
  progressive
• were trowelling
  progressive
• had been troweling
  perfect progressive
• had been trowelling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will trowel
  simple
• will have troweled
  perfect
• will have trowelled
  perfect
• will be troweling
  progressive
• will be trowelling
  progressive
• will have been troweling
  perfect progressive
• will have been trowelling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of trowel

1300–50; Middle English < Old French truelle < Late Latin truella, equivalent to Latin tru ( a ) ladle + -ella -elle

Explanation

A trowel is a tool for digging small holes or spreading plaster. If you're an avid gardener (or an apprentice bricklayer), you probably own a trowel. Gardeners use trowels to dig shallow troughs for planting seeds, bulbs, or small plants. Gardening trowels are basically small shovels. When you're building a stone wall or grouting tile, your trowel will look a bit different—it will be flatter and possibly triangular in shape. The Late Latin source of trowel, truella, means "small ladle or dipper."

Example Sentences

This time it's a send-up of bizarre life-styles as seen through the hungry eye of Pamela Trowel, advertising director of Hunter's World magazine.

From Time Magazine Archive

Many are known by noms de fl�chette: Harper Valley Fats and Butterball Stabler are regulars among the Jelly Bellies, while Oiley the Pot and Fast Trowel Mazz linger at Duffy's in Manhattan.

From Time Magazine Archive

"Five short stories sure to be devoured by young people."—Sword and Trowel.

From Mother Meg or, The Story of Dickie's Attic by Shaw, Catharine

The Working Tools of a Master Mason are all the implements of Masonry, especially the Trowel.

From Masonic Monitor of the Degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason together with the Ceremony of Installation, Laying Corner Stones, Dedications, Masonic Burial, Etc. by Thornburgh, George

The working tools of a Master Mason are all the implements of Masonry indiscriminately, but more especially the Trowel.

From The Mysteries of Free Masonry Containing All the Degrees of the Order Conferred in a Master's Lodge by Morgan, William

Related Words

• burrow
• inquire