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Definition of dowel
dowel
/ˈdaʊ.əl/
dow · el
Plural:dowels
•Past Simple:doweled
•Past Participle:doweled
•Present Participle:doweling
dowel Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
7
Tier
2
Usage
Top 10k
dowel Game Scores & Validity
Scrabble US
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WWF
Wordle Guess
• noun
1
A solid cylindrical pin, typically made of wood, metal, or plastic, used for holding components together, reinforcing a joint, or supporting a load.
Example
"The carpenter inserted a wooden dowel into the drilled hole to strengthen the joint of the chair."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for dowel• verb
1
To fasten, join, or reinforce using one or more cylindrical pins or pegs.
Example
"He doweled the two pieces of the tabletop together to ensure they wouldn't separate over time."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for dowel Antonyms
View all antonyms for dowel• Rhymes for dowel
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Word Origin & Etymology
Middle English 'dowle', likely from Middle Low German 'dövel' (plug, peg) or an akin Germanic source, dating back to the 14th century.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Dowel. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 16, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/dowel