Spawl vs Pawl - What's the difference?
spawl | pawl |
Scattered or ejected spittle
A pivoted catch designed to fall into a notch on a ratchet wheel so as to allow movement in only one direction (e.g. on a windlass or in a clock mechanism), or alternatively to move the wheel in one direction.
* 1994 , Cormac McCarthy, The Crossing :
* 1910 , Victor Appleton, Tom Swift and his Motorcycle
As nouns the difference between spawl and pawl
is that spawl is or spawl can be scattered or ejected spittle while pawl is a pivoted catch designed to fall into a notch on a ratchet wheel so as to allow movement in only one direction (eg on a windlass or in a clock mechanism), or alternatively to move the wheel in one direction.As verbs the difference between spawl and pawl
is that spawl is (obsolete) to scatter spittle from the mouth; to spit while pawl is to stop with a pawl.spawl
English
(Webster 1913)Etymology 1
Etymology 2
Noun
(-)Derived terms
* bespawlAnagrams
*pawl
English
Noun
(en noun)- The nails in the rim of the wheel went ratcheting over the leather pawl and the wheel slowed and came to a stop and the woman turned to the crowd and smiled.
- A pawl is a sort of catch that fits into a ratchet wheel and pushes it around, or it may be used as a catch to prevent the backward motion of a windlass or the wheel on a derrick.