Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A pointed tool for making holes, as in wood or leather.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A pointed instrument for piercing small holes in leather, wood, etc., as the bent-pointed awl of the shoemaker and saddler and the straight-pointed brad-awl of the joiner.
- noun The popinjay or green woodpecker, Picus or Gecinus viridis.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A pointed instrument for piercing small holes, as in leather or wood; used by shoemakers, saddlers, cabinetmakers, etc. The blade is differently shaped and pointed for different uses, as in the
brad awl ,saddler's awl ,shoemaker's awl , etc.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A pointed instrument for piercing small holes, as in leather or wood; used by shoemakers, saddlers, cabinetmakers, etc. The blade is differently shaped and pointed for different uses, as in the brad awl, saddler's awl, shoemaker's awl, etc.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a pointed tool for marking surfaces or for punching small holes
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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August 19, 2008 at 3:32 pm hands blankees, hawt choklit martoonies awl around wiff sum choklit possums fur gud measure……*finks ai hope ai found dem awl*
itteh bitteh sleepeh committeh - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? 2008
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June 14, 2008 at 7:38 am oooh dere yew guys arrrrr ai wuz jus merrily making a list…….. awl alone…..awl bi myself an den i posted and DER YEW WERE jamamakitty says:
Oh WOW… - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? 2008
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*luuks rownd hoepfullee fer akshul fyremens tew hep wif awl dis carryin awl*
go on - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? 2009
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June 21, 2009 at 11:55 am oh 2M, ai still haz wun nuther ticket to mariners cheezmeet baseblol game………. let me look, yep, has yer name awl ober it!
They always seemed to know - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? 2009
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Ah wil lub dem and hugs dem and squeez dem and calls awl ub dem Jorj!
Mavis became a - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? 2009
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Yes, wif noo kitteh alarm klok, u gets ur acupunkshur and wake ups call awl in one.
ALARM CLOCK CAT - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? 2008
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Did yoo call awl the vets offices, an odder animal places?
i battle budy - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? 2008
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Their points, closely examined, were seen to be finely bearded or barbed, and shaped like an awl, that is, a little concave, to give the barbs effect.
The Maine Woods 1858
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I would swear that thou thinkest of chess only as thou cobblest thy shoes; every hole of your awl is a square of the board, every stitch a move, and a finished pair, paid for, check-mate to your adversary; eh!
Three Weeks in the Downs, or Conjugal Fidelity Rewarded: exemplified in the Narrative of Helen and Edmund Anonymous 1829
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[40] An old-fashioned play on the words "awl" and "all," and means, of course, packing up all his possessions.
Lives of the Most Remarkable Criminals Who have been Condemned and Executed for Murder, the Highway, Housebreaking, Street Robberies, Coining or other offences Arthur L. Hayward
yarb commented on the word awl
Awl things to awl men.
July 25, 2008