Origin:
1375–1425; late Middle English ferula, ferul(e) giant fennel < Latin ferula schoolmaster's rod (literally, stalk of giant fennel); replacing Old English ferele < Latin

Dictionary.com Unabridged

noun, verb (used with object), fer·uled, fer·ul·ing.

ferrule.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To ferule

Collins

World English Dictionary

ferrule or ferule (ˈfɛruːl, -rəl, ˈfɛruːl, -rəl)

—n
1.	a metal ring, tube, or cap placed over the end of a stick, handle, or post for added strength or stability or to increase wear
2.	a side opening in a pipe that gives access for inspection or cleaning
3.	a bush, gland, small length of tube, etc, esp one used for making a joint

—vb
4.	(tr) to equip (a stick, etc) with a ferrule

[C17: from Middle English virole, from Old French virol, from Latin viriola a little bracelet, from viria bracelet; influenced by Latin ferrum iron]

ferule or ferule

—n

—vb

[C17: from Middle English virole, from Old French virol, from Latin viriola a little bracelet, from viria bracelet; influenced by Latin ferrum iron]

ferule¹ (ˈfɛruːl, -rəl)

—n
1.	a flat piece of wood, such as a ruler, used in some schools to cane children on the hand

—vb
2.	rare (tr) to punish with a ferule

[C16: from Latin ferula giant fennel, whip, rod; the stalk of the plant was used for punishment]

ferule² (ˈfɛruːl, -rəl)

—n
	a variant spelling of ferrule

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

ferule

c.1420, from M.E. ferula "fennel plant," from L. ferula "fennel plant or rod," probably related to festuca "stalk, straw, rod."

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