English

Noun

gavel ‎(plural gavels)

1. (historical) Rent.
2. (obsolete) Usury; interest on money.

Etymology 2

Origin obscure. Perhaps alteration of cavel ‎(“a stone mason's hammer”). More at cavel.

Noun

gavel ‎(plural gavels)

1. A wooden mallet, used by a courtroom judge (not UK), or by a committee chairman, struck against a sounding block to quieten those present, or by an auctioneer to accept the highest bid at auction.
2. (figuratively) The legal system as a whole (not UK).
3. A mason's setting maul.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Knight to this entry?)

Translations

Verb

gavel ‎(third-person singular simple present gavels, present participle gaveling or gavelling, simple past and past participle gaveled or gavelled)

1. To use a gavel.

   The judge gavelled for order in the courtroom after the defendant burst out with a confession.‎

Usage notes

• In US English, the participles are gaveled and gaveling, in British English they are gavelled and gavelling.

Translations

Etymology 3

Old French gavelle, French javelle, probably diminutive from Latin capulus ‎(“handle”), from capere ‎(“to lay hold of, seize”); or compare Welsh gafael ‎(“hold, grasp”). Compare heave.

Noun

gavel ‎(plural gavels)

1. A small heap of grain, not tied up into a bundle.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Wright to this entry?)

Etymology 4

Noun

gavel ‎(plural gavels)

1. A gable.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Halliwell to this entry?)

Swedish

Noun

gavel c

1. a gable, a short wall of a building

Declension

Related terms

• husgavel