ferule

¹ American  

[fer-uhl, -ool] / ˈfɛr əl, -ul /

noun

1. Also a rod, cane, or flat piece of wood for punishing children, especially by striking them on the hand.

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verb (used with object)

feruled, feruling

1. to punish with a ferule.

ferule ² American  

[fer-uhl, -ool] / ˈfɛr əl, -ul /

noun

feruled, feruling

1. ferrule.

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ferule ¹ British  

/ -rəl, ˈfɛruːl /

noun

1. a flat piece of wood, such as a ruler, used in some schools to cane children on the hand

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verb

1. rare (tr) to punish with a ferule

ferule ² British  

/ ˈfɛruːl, -rəl /

noun

1. a variant spelling of ferrule

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Etymology

Origin of ferule

1375–1425; late Middle English ferula, ferul ( e ) giant fennel < Latin ferula schoolmaster's rod (literally, stalk of giant fennel); replacing Old English ferele < Latin

Example Sentences

A kind of miracle happened: the ferule of the teacher became the poet's magic wand.

From Time Magazine Archive

Yen picked up his ferule and hit it like a student.

From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston

Jenny used to sit for hours together in St. James's Park, scratching aimlessly upon the gravel with the ferule of her parasol.

From Carnival by MacKenzie, Compton

Down came the hard-wood ferule, whizzing through the air like a thing of life.

From Little Grandmother by May, Sophie

He went straight to Zeus’ throne and filled a ferule with it, and carried it to his people.

From Nature Myths and Stories for Little Children by Cooke, Flora J. (Flora Juliette)

Related Words

• berate
• castigate
• censure
• flog
• lash
• punish
• upbraid