spool
spool Lexical Profile
spool Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A cylindrical device, typically with a rim at each end, on which thread, wire, cable, or magnetic tape is wound.
"She reached into her sewing kit and pulled out a spool of black thread."
A temporary storage area or buffer in a computer memory or disk where data is held until a device, such as a printer, is ready to process it.
"The document was sent to the print spool and will be printed as soon as the current job finishes."
• verb
To wind thread, wire, magnetic tape, or a similar material onto a cylindrical device.
"The machine automatically spools the freshly manufactured copper wire onto large wooden reels."
To draw out, unroll, or unfold from a cylinder (often used with 'out').
"The fisherman watched the line spool out rapidly as the large catch swam away."
To send data to a temporary storage area or buffer in a computer to await processing by a peripheral device.
"The operating system spools the print jobs so that the user can continue working without waiting for the printer."
• Rhymes for spool
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'spole', borrowed from Middle Low German 'spōle' or Middle Dutch 'spoele', of Germanic origin. The computing sense is often cited as a backronym for 'Simultaneous Peripheral Operations On-Line'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.