rowel

American  

[rou-uhl] / ˈraʊ əl /

noun

1. a small wheel with radiating points, forming the extremity of a spur.

2. Veterinary Medicine. a piece of leather or the like inserted beneath the skin of a horse or other animal to promote drainage of an infection.

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verb (used with object)

roweled, roweling, rowelled, rowelling

1. to prick or urge with a rowel.

2. Veterinary Medicine. to insert a rowel in.

rowel British  

/ ˈraʊəl /

noun

1. a small spiked wheel attached to a spur

2. obsolete vet science a piece of leather or other material inserted under the skin of a horse to act as a seton and allow drainage

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verb

1. to goad (a horse) using a rowel

2. obsolete vet science to insert a rowel in (the skin of a horse) to allow drainage

Other Word Forms

• unroweled adjective

Etymology

Origin of rowel

1350–1400; Middle English rowelle < Middle French ruelle, Old French roel < Late Latin rotella, equivalent to Latin rot ( a ) wheel + -ella -elle

Example Sentences

Johnny took off his spurs and showed the silversmith a broken rowel.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes

But he sprang to the right, when the rowel went into his flank, carrying with it the assurance that the game was up.

From A Breeze from the Woods, 2nd Ed. by Bartlett, William Chauncey

The reason of this charge being called the spur fire is, because the sparks it yields have a great resemblance to the rowel of a spur, from whence it takes its name.

From Endless Amusement A Collection of Nearly 400 Entertaining Experiments by Unknown

Of course Jack was too game to let on he knew he'd been done, but not too busy to sharpen a rowel for Lory.

From The Red-Blooded Heroes of the Frontier by Bronson, Edgar Beecher

The steel scabbards clank; As each rowel is pressed To a horse’s hot flank; And swift is their rush And the wild torrents flow, When it pours from the crag On the valley below.

From How the Flag Became Old Glory by Valentine, A. C.

Related Words

• coerce
• harass
• hound
• prod
• provoke
• tease