awl

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ɔːl/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ɔl/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(ôl)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
awl /ɔl/USA pronunciation   n. [countable]
  1. Buildinga pointed instrument for piercing small holes in leather, wood, etc.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
awl  (ôl),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Buildinga pointed instrument for piercing small holes in leather, wood, etc.
  • bef. 900; Middle English al, eal, aul, Old English al, eal, æl; cognate with Old Norse alr; akin to Middle English ēl, Old English ǣl, Old High German āla (German Ahle), Sanskrit á̄rā

A.W.L., 
  1. Militaryabsent with leave.
Also, a.w.l. 
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
awl / ɔːl/
  1. a pointed hand tool with a fluted blade used for piercing wood, leather, etc
    See also bradawl
Etymology: Old English ǣl; related to Old Norse alr, Old High German āla, Dutch aal, Sanskrit ārā
'awl' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
anelace - awl snail - awl-shaped - awlwort - bradawl - decollate snail - preen - puncture - scratch awl - souvlaki - subulate

Forum discussions with the word(s) "awl" in the title:


Look up "awl" at Merriam-Webster
Look up "awl" at dictionary.com
  • Go to Preferences page and choose from different actions for taps or mouse clicks.

In other languages: Spanish | French | Italian | Portuguese | Romanian | German | Dutch | Swedish | Russian | Polish | Czech | Greek | Turkish | Chinese | Japanese | Korean | Arabic

Advertisements
Advertisements
Report an inappropriate ad.
WordReference.com
WORD OF THE DAY
GET THE DAILY EMAIL!

Become a WordReference Supporter to view the site ad-free.