ferrule

or fer·ule

[fer-uh l, -ool]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ferrule ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a ring or cap, usually of metal, put around the end of a post, cane, or the like, to prevent splitting.

a short metal sleeve for strengthening a tool handle at the end holding the tool.

a bushing or adapter holding the end of a tube and inserted into a hole in a plate in order to make a tight fit, used in boilers, condensers, etc.

a short ring for reinforcing or decreasing the interior diameter of the end of a tube.

a short plumbing fitting, covered at its outer end and caulked or otherwise fixed to a branch from a pipe so that it can be removed to give access to the interior of the pipe.

Angling.

either of two fittings on the end of a section of a sectional fishing rod, one fitting serving as a plug and the other as a socket for fastening the sections together.
one of two or more small rings spaced along the top of a casting rod to hold and guide the line.

verb (used with object), fer·ruled, fer·rul·ing.

to furnish with a ferrule.

Origin of ferrule

1605–15; alteration (apparently conformed to Latin ferrum iron, -ule) of verrel, verril, late Middle English virole < Middle French (cognate with Medieval Latin virola) < Latin viriola, equivalent to viri(a) bracelet + -ola -ole¹

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

Related Words for ferrule

wedge, bat, cane, bar, wand, club, rod, baton, stalk, strip, slab, shoot, ingot, ruler, rule, cudgel, stake, stave, bludgeon, stem

Examples from the Web for ferrule

Historical Examples of ferrule

He advised me to laugh at the ruler, the ferrule, and the rod.
Percival Keene
Frederick Marryat
This method of tinning the ferrule will spoil the wiping solder.
Elements of Plumbing
Samuel Dibble
It should be beaten in very slowly until it fits the ferrule.
Elements of Plumbing
Samuel Dibble
A flat pan is laid on the bench and the ferrule stood upon it.
Elements of Plumbing
Samuel Dibble
The ferrule will look black when this happens and will thus be recognized.
Elements of Plumbing
Samuel Dibble

British Dictionary definitions for ferrule

ferrule

ferule

noun

a metal ring, tube, or cap placed over the end of a stick, handle, or post for added strength or stability or to increase wear

a side opening in a pipe that gives access for inspection or cleaning

a bush, gland, small length of tube, etc, esp one used for making a joint

verb

(tr) to equip (a stick, etc) with a ferrule

Word Origin for ferrule

C17: from Middle English virole, from Old French virol, from Latin viriola a little bracelet, from viria bracelet; influenced by Latin ferrum iron

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

Word Origin and History for ferrule

"metal cap on a rod," 1610s, ferule, earlier verrel (early 15c.), from Old French virelle, from Latin viriola "bracelet," diminutive of viriae "bracelets," from a Gaulish word (cf. Old Irish fiar "bent, crooked"); spelling influenced by Latin ferrum "iron."