Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun 1. A spear; a javelin.
  • noun An iron crow or lever.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun R. & Obs. A spear or dart.
  • noun Scot. & North of Eng. An iron crow or lever.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun rare, obsolete A spear or dart.
  • noun UK, Scotland, dialect An iron crow or lever.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Old English gaveloc a dart, Anglo-Saxon gafeluc; compare Icelandic gaflok, Middle High German, Old French gavelot, glavelot, French javelot, Irish gabhla spear, Welsh gaflach fork, dart, English glave, gaff.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word gavelock.

Examples

  • To "jilt," to throw or dash water on a person; "gellock" (gavelock), an iron lever or crowbar.

    The Proverbs of Scotland Alexander Hislop 1836

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • a spear or dart

    January 22, 2009

  • An earwig; also gelloch or golach. --Dr. Jamieson's Scottish Dictionary and Supplement, 1841.

    May 18, 2011