gavel

1 of 3

noun (1)

gav·​el ˈga-vəl 

: rent or tribute in medieval England

gavel

2 of 3

noun (2)

: a mallet used (as by a presiding officer or auctioneer) for commanding attention or confirming an action (such as a vote or sale)

gavel

3 of 3

verb

gaveled or gavelled; gaveling or gavelling ˈga-v(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

: to bring or force by use of a gavel

gaveled the audience to silence

Examples of gavel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But the letter from Jeffries — who many hope will be the first Black American to hold the speaker’s gavel — throws into question whether even that bulwark might be developing cracks. —Karen Tumulty, Washington Post, 12 July 2024

Harding, it was later determined, had some involvement, but long before the judge’s gavel came down, Harding was painted as a lowbrow conniver against Kerrigan’s beauty queen victim. —John Ortved, Vogue, 11 July 2024

Johnson used his gavel to put off that second Mayorkas vote to another time. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2024

Bringing down the gavel The start of the congressional day is filled with a mundane ritual that mixes the 20th century and the 18th. —Ben Jacobs, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English gafol; akin to Old English giefan to give

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1835, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1925, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing gavel

• gavel-to-gavel

Kids Definition

gavel

noun

gav·​el

ˈgav-əl

: the mallet of an officer in charge of a meeting or of an auctioneer