trowel

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“
At the present time speculating builders, who are fast changing the aspect of this corner of Paris, and covering the waste ground lying between the Rue d'Amsterdam and the Rue Faubourg-du-Roule, will no doubt alter the character of the inhabitants; for the trowel is a more civilizing agent than is generally supposed.

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Definitions (12)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. noun A flat-bladed hand tool for leveling, spreading, or shaping substances such as cement or mortar.
  2. noun A small implement with a pointed, scoop-shaped blade used for digging, as in setting plants.
  3. transitive verb To spread, smooth, form, or scoop with a trowel.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (6)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (2)

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Examples (50)

  • I forgot to bring a trowel, and there is no outhouse here: I will have to make one myself. —  F ;SF; - vol 098 issue 02 - February 2000
  • Judging by the way the lovely laugh kept interrupting his tales, a trowel was barely big enough. —  The Beach House
  • More patient scratching with a trowel, then some work with a pickax. —  R. D. Wingfield - Frost at Christmas
  • A woman with a hat and trowel, an open-sided metal elevator. —  F ;SF; - vol 099 issue 04-05 - October-November 2000
  • Annie snatched up a small trowel, and going to the back of the arbour, dug a hole for her letter. —  Red Rose and Tiger Lily or, In a Wider World
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This word has been looked up 93 times.

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Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English trowell, from Old French truele, from Late Latin truella, diminutive of Latin trua, ladle.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. Early modern English trowell, truell; from Middle English truel, trulle, trowylle, from Old French truelle, truele, from Latin trulla, a small ladle, a dipper, diminutive of trua, a stirring-spoon, skimmer, ladle.
  2. from trowel, n.
 

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/ˈtraʊɛl/
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