15 July 2017
rowel
[rou-uh l]
noun
1. a small wheel with radiating points, forming the extremity of a spur.
2. Veterinary Medicine. a piece of leather or the like inserted beneath the skin of a horse or other animal to promote drainage of an infection.
verb (used with object), roweled, roweling or (especially British) rowelled, rowelling.
3. to prick or urge with a rowel.
4. Veterinary Medicine. to insert a rowel in.
Origin of rowel
Middle English, Middle French, Old French, Late Latin
1350-1400; Middle English rowelle < Middle French ruelle, Old French roel < Late Latin rotella, equivalent to Latin rot(a) wheel + -ella -elle
Related forms
unroweled; especially British, unrowelled, adjective
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for rowel
Historical Examples
Unbuckling the spur from her heel, she used the rowel as a knife to jab a hole in the clay.
The Sheriff’s Son
William MacLeod Raine
The shank of the spur is the bridge and road, the rowel the church and rectory.
Cradock Nowell, Vol. 1 (of 3)
Richard Doddridge Blackmore
The spurs were also richly gilded, the shank and rowel representing the thistle, and were the gift of the drummer-boys.
The Life of Isaac Ingalls Stevens, Volume II (of 2)
Hazard Stevens
She twirled her rowel in silence for a time, her eyes fixed on it.
The Heritage of the Hills
Arthur P. Hankins
The rowel spur is found but in one or two instances during this century.
Ancient Armour and Weapons in Europe
John Hewitt
I measured one which was six inches in the diameter of the rowel, and the rowel itself contained upward of thirty points.
With the World’s Great Travellers, Volume 1
Various
Anagram
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Today’s quote
Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.
– Anton Chekhov
On this day
15 July 1099 – First Crusaders conquer Jerusalem.
15 July 1606 – birth of Rembrandt, famous Dutch painter. Died 4 October 1669.
15 July 1815 – Napoleon surrenders and is eventually exiled on the island of St Helena.
15 July 1904 – death of Anton Chekhov, Russian playwright and short story writer, considered to be among the greatest writers of short fiction in history. One of the seminal figures in the birth of modernism. Chekhov was also a medical doctor. His works include ‘The Bear’, ‘The Cherry Orchard’, ‘The Seagull’, ‘The Lady with the Dog’. Born 29 January 1860.
15 July 2013 – India sends it last telegram, bringing an end to the 163 year old service. Hundreds of people attended the remaining 75 telegram offices to send their final telegrams.