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Added 8 October 2026

pawl

/pɔːl/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about pawl at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A hinged catch that fits into a notch of a ratchet to move a wheel forward or prevent it from moving backward.

Origin

17th c., perhaps from Low German or Dutch pal (“catch (mechanism)”), or from either French pal (“stake”) or épaule (“shoulder”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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