noun
a pointed instrument for piercing small holes in leather, wood, etc.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
A.W.L.
absent with leave.
Also, a.w.l.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To awl
00:10
Awl
is always a great word to know.
So is interrobang. Does it mean:
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
awl (ɔːl) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| See also bradawl a pointed hand tool with a fluted blade used for piercing wood, leather, etc | |
| [Old English ǣl; related to Old Norse alr, Old High German āla, Dutch aal, Sanskrit ārā] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
awl
O.E. æl "awl, piercer," from P.Gmc. *ælo (cf. O.N. alr, Du. aal, M.L.G. al, O.H.G. äla, Ger. Ahle), of uncertain origin. Earliest references are to piercing of the ears, though later it was associated with shoemakers. Through misdivision, frequently written 15c.-17c. as nawl (for an
awl).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Abbreviations & Acronyms
| AWL absent with leave |
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Easton
Bible Dictionary
Awl definition
an instrument only referred to in connection with the custom of boring the ear of a slave (Ex. 21:6; Deut. 15:17), in token of his volunteering perpetual service when he might be free. (Comp. Ps. 40:6; Isa. 50:5).
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Use an awl or screwdriver to probe into decayed areas and determine the extent of the damage.
From a leather pouch he removed his tools, an awl of steel and antler, a block of bone.
With an awl, punch five holes in pumpkin for the laces and pull tab.
Nearby Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
