trowel

1 of 2

noun

trow·​el ˈtrau̇(-ə)l How to pronounce trowel (audio)
: any of various hand tools used to apply, spread, shape, or smooth loose or plastic material
also : a scoop-shaped or flat-bladed garden tool for taking up and setting small plants

Illustration of trowel

Illustration of trowel
  • 1 gardener's
  • 2 plasterer's
  • 3 bricklayer's

trowel

2 of 2

verb

troweled or trowelled; troweling or trowelling

transitive verb

: to smooth, mix, or apply with or as if with a trowel
troweler noun

Examples of trowel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
People make concrete art and take rides on power trowels, all while cutting rebar and cutting deals. Conor Knighton, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2024 The set includes a weeder, rake, trowel, transplater, cultivator, pruning shears, plastic garden sprayer, rubber gloves, removable tote bag, bind line, and foldable seat. Amanda Ogle, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2023 Mix into the top few inches using a hand trowel; do not rototill. Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 May 2023 One good YouTube video shows how to apply a lightweight topping mix using a paint roller, followed by passes with a drywall trowel that is maybe 10 to 14 inches wide. Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2024 Firmly tap the bottom of the pot with a trowel handle and squeeze the sides of the pot to loosen the root ball if necessary. Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Oct. 2022 Tools include pruning shears, a trowel, transplant trowel, hand fork, weeder, cultivator, and gardening gloves. Amanda Ogle, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2024 Steve does eventually stab someone in the neck with his trowel, which is gratifying. Vulture, 12 Jan. 2024 Collect hand trowels, pruning shears, hose end nozzles and other tools scattered across your garden. Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2024
Verb
The excess water goes to the surface as the concrete is troweled, creating tiny tunnels that remain as the mix hardens. Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 22 Sep. 2023 Then workers troweled on a final layer of the same stuff, leaving it deliberately rough to the touch. Curbed, 25 Apr. 2023 Refractory Cement, Brick: Rutland Fire Clay Black Furnace Cement was troweled into the sink to protect it. Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 4 Apr. 2023 The director also gets a little cute with some of his music choices, troweling on vintage Lee Hazlewood tracks to establish the setting as a lawless outpost, a Down-Under Old West. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2023 The set includes a wheelbarrow, watering can, gloves, hand rake, trowel, double hoe, cultivator, hedge clippers, and even an apron, all sized to fit kids’ hands. Rachel Simon, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Jan. 2023 Cleverly, though, the movie’s writer, series creator Julian Fellowes, finds an unexpected new layer to trowel onto all the displacement angst. BostonGlobe.com, 18 Sep. 2019 The indoor-outdoor floor plan feels light and airy with white oak floors, troweled plaster walls and high ceilings. Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2019 Jay Longino’s screenplay lards all the hoop action and comedy with troweled-on sentimentality and even a little romance — a little in this case still being too much. Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 27 June 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trowel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English truel, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin truella, from Latin trulla ladle

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1670, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of trowel was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near trowel

Cite this Entry

“Trowel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trowel. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

trowel

1 of 2 noun
trow·​el ˈtrau̇(-ə)l How to pronounce trowel (audio)
1
: a small hand tool consisting of a flat blade with a handle used for spreading and smoothing mortar or plaster
2
: a small hand tool with a curved blade used by gardeners

trowel

2 of 2 verb
troweled or trowelled; troweling or trowelling
: to smooth, mix, or apply with a trowel

More from Merriam-Webster on trowel

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