appel

[ uh-pel, a-pel; French a-pel ]

/ əˈpɛl, æˈpɛl; French aˈpɛl /

noun, plural ap·pels [uh-pelz, a-pelz; French a-pel] /əˈpɛlz, æˈpɛlz; French aˈpɛl/. Fencing.

a tap or stamp of the foot, formerly serving as a warning of one's intent to attack, but now also used as a feint.

a sharp stroke with the blade used for the purpose of procuring an opening.

Nearby words

appear as, appearance, appearance money, appease, appeasement, appel, appellant, appellate, appellate division, appellation, appellation contrôlée

Origin of appel

From French; see origin at appeal

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for appel

Mr. Appel snickered: "They'll help fertilize the soil, which I'm told needs it."
The Dude Wrangler|Caroline Lockhart
Then he kissed Mrs. Appel, who turned her cheek to him, and buttoned himself into the bag.
The Dude Wrangler|Caroline Lockhart
And say, Appel, you ain't seen nobody but only Quinlan and Geltfin—eh?
Sundry Accounts|Irvin S. Cobb
Mr. Appel volunteered to conduct Mr. Budlong to the spot as soon as they were finished eating.
The Dude Wrangler|Caroline Lockhart

Thus encouraged, Mr. Appel declared that he wished he would not fry the ham to chips and boil the "daylights" out of the coffee.
The Dude Wrangler|Caroline Lockhart

British Dictionary definitions for appel (1 of 2)

appel

/ (əˈpɛl, French apɛl) /

noun fencing

a stamp of the foot, used to warn of one's intent to attack

a sharp blow with the blade made to procure an opening

Word Origin for appel

from French: challenge

British Dictionary definitions for appel (2 of 2)

Appel

/ (Dutch ˈɑpəl) /

noun

Karel (ˈkaːrəl). 1921–2006, Dutch abstract expressionist painter

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012