awl
noun
a pointed instrument for piercing small holes in leather, wood, etc.
awl
1 American
[awl]
/ ɔl /
noun
A.W.L.
2
American
Or
a.w.l.
abbreviation
awl
British
/ ɔːl /
noun
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.
Vocabulary lists containing awl
Island of the Blue Dolphins
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The Birchbark House
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Out of Darkness
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She also had silver earplugs threaded through with silver hoops, an awl covered in silver—and a companion: a middle-age man laid to rest in the same jar with a fraction of her wealth.
From Science Magazine • Oct. 4, 2023
"Wagner is not a piece of slippery soap which the bureaucrats have got used to shoving all over the place; Wagner is an awl, a stiletto that you cannot hide," Prigozhin said.
From Reuters • May 28, 2023
With a screwdriver or an awl, poke into the wood; if it goes in more than ⅛ inch, rot has probably begun.
From Washington Post • Oct. 28, 2022
In one example, the investigator’s own fingerprint was found on the awl, demonstrating “incompetence and lack of professionalism,” according to Smith’s filing.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 11, 2022
But Mags tugs on my sleeve and babbles on until I’ve given the awl to her.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
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.
