dowel

Meanings

Noun

• A pin, or block, of wood or metal, fitting into holes in the abutting portions of two pieces, and being partly in one piece and partly in the other, to keep them in their proper relative position.
• A wooden rod, as one to make short pins from.
• A piece of wood or similar material fitted into a surface not suitable for fastening so that other pieces may be fastened to it.

Verb

• To fasten together with dowels.
• To furnish with dowels.

Origin

• From Middle English dowle, dule, of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Old French doelle, from Frankish *duli, from Proto-Germanic *dulją, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰel- ("curvature, hollow"). If so, then cognate with French douelle, douille. Alternatively from Middle Low German dövel, from Proto-Germanic *dubilaz. If so, then cognate with Dutch deuvel, German Dübel.