spool

[ spool ]

/ spul /

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noun

any cylindrical piece or device on which something is wound.

a small cylindrical piece of wood or other material on which yarn is wound in spinning, for use in weaving; a bobbin.

a small cylinder of wood or other material on which thread, wire, or tape is wound, typically expanded or with a rim at each end and having a hole lengthwise through the center.

the material or quantity of material wound on such a device.

Angling. the cylindrical drum in a reel that bears the line.

verb (used with object)

to wind on a spool.

to unwind from a spool (usually followed by off or out).

Computers. to operate (an input/output device) by using buffers in main and secondary storage.

verb (used without object)

to wind.

to unwind.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of spool

1275–1325; Middle English spole<Middle Dutch spoele or Middle Low German spōle; cognate with German Spule

OTHER WORDS FROM spool

spooler, nounspoollike, adjectiveun·spool, verb (used with object)

Words nearby spool

spoof, spoofery, spoofing, spook, spooky, spool, spoom, spoon, spoon back, spoonbill, spoonbill catfish

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use spool in a sentence

The cutting cable is spun around an automatic feed spool, making it easy to adjust on the go.
Best electric lawn mower: Give up the gas for one of these powerful trimmers|Irena Collaku|July 25, 2021|Popular-Science
This means that when you’re listening to your favorite song, the tape is rolling out from the spool on the left, and reeled in by the spool on the right.
A modern guide to cassette tape players|Sandra Gutierrez|July 23, 2021|Popular-Science
If you want to go even fancier, you can save nearly $7 on a spool of glow-in-the-dark filament.
This year’s Prime Day sales include some excellent deals on 3D printers|Billy Cadden|June 21, 2021|Popular-Science
Your other option when it comes to 3D printing involves turning spools of plastic thread into layers that build your object.
This year’s Prime Day sales include some excellent deals on 3D printers|Billy Cadden|June 21, 2021|Popular-Science

Nobody looks at the humble reels or spools on which the kite strings are wound, even though the aerial performances depend on how skillfully those reels are handled.
DNA’s Histone Spools Hint at How Complex Cells Evolved|Viviane Callier|May 10, 2021|Quanta Magazine
There he lies in fetal position, reeling from thoughts of the atrocities he has committed, which spool endlessly in his mind.
Madbeth: Alan Cumming Plays Almost Every Role in “Macbeth”  |Liesl Schillinger|April 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
I want a spool of red silk, two pieces of crimson dress braid, and a spool of fifty cotton.
Tessa Wadsworth's Discipline|Jennie M. Drinkwater
It is easily avoided, however, by procuring a large spool and fastening it to the bottom of the base with a wood screw.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various
The spool will serve as a handle while the varnish is applied, and also makes a stand for the board while the varnish dries.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various
On the inside of the spool, or towel support, an ordinary incandescent electric globe was placed.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various
The ends of the spool are made of thin brass and are dimensioned as shown in Fig. 2, at B and C.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various

British Dictionary definitions for spool

spool

/ (spuːl) /

noun

a device around which magnetic tape, film, cotton, etc, can be automatically wound, with plates at top and bottom to prevent it from slipping off

anything round which other materials, esp thread, are wound

verb

(sometimes foll by up) to wind or be wound onto a spool or reel

Word Origin for spool

C14: of Germanic origin; compare Old High German spuolo, Middle Dutch spoele

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

Scientific definitions for spool

spool

[ spōōl ]

To store data that is sent to a device, such as a printer, in a buffer that the device reads. This procedure allows the program that sent the data to the device to resume its normal operation without waiting for the device to process the data.

spool

Origin of spool

OTHER WORDS FROM spool

Words nearby spool

Words related to spool

How to use spool in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for spool

Word Origin for spool

Scientific definitions for spool