rowel

1 of 2

noun

row·el ˈrau̇(-ə)l

: a revolving disk with sharp marginal points at the end of a spur

rowel

2 of 2

verb

roweled or rowelled; roweling or rowelling

transitive verb

: to goad with or as if with a rowel

: vex, trouble

Did you know?

If you've seen Western movies, you've seen rowels. The noun rowel names the circular, point-covered disk on the end of a spur that is used to urge powerful steeds to maximum speeds. But cowboys didn't invent rowels; knights in shining armor were sporting them even before the 12th century. English speakers of yore picked up the noun rowel from the Anglo-French roele, meaning "small wheel." It wasn't until the 16th century that rowel began to be used as a verb for the act of spurring a horse with a rowel. By the 19th century, rowel was being used as a verb for any process of prodding or goading that was as irritating as being poked in the side with a rowel.