gavel

1 of 3

noun (1)

gav·​el ˈga-vəl How to pronounce gavel (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce gavel (audio)

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 after the gavel was hit, the state only made $2,075, according to officials. Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 The late monarch’s 2016 Range Rover has been listed for sale with Bramley Motor Cars in the U.K., a mere three months after her 2004 example went under the gavel at Iconic Auctioneers. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 1 Feb. 2024 At the House dais, Speaker Mike Johnson held the gavel, looking stricken. Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2024 Because to allow any perception of vulnerability or weakness could spark a fight for the gavel or the crown — or encourage a coup. Laurie Kellman, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2024 But since winning the gavel, Mr. Johnson has taken to avoiding that ritual, employing one of the most common tactics in a member of Congress’s playbook to do so: talking, or pretending to talk, on the phone. Annie Karni, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024 The board president rapped his gavel and issued a stern warning to a room filled with rainbow flags, parents and teens. Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 6 Dec. 2023 And long before McCarthy’s pale eminence seized the gavel, an older version of his antagonists was doing then-Speaker John Boehner dirty. Jason Linkins, The New Republic, 4 Nov. 2023 The chamber will enter next month with a new person holding the gavel. Alex Thomas, Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2023
Verb
Legislators will gavel back in on April 12 and April 15 and would have an opportunity at that time to override vetoes. The Courier-Journal, 1 Feb. 2024 No legislation is truly dead until the lawmakers gavel out at the end of the 60-day session, which is scheduled to end March 8. Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2024 The House and Senate are scheduled to gavel back in at 4 p.m., Monday. Rebecca Grapevine, The Courier-Journal, 21 Jan. 2024 When one of the most stinging defeats of his short tenure arrived on Tuesday, Speaker Mike Johnson had put himself front and center in the House chamber, standing in front of the speaker’s ceremonial chair on the upper tier of the rostrum to gavel it down. Catie Edmondson, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2024 The governor has yet to release his agenda for the upcoming session, but 188 lawmakers will gavel into their annual rush of lawmaking on Wednesday ready to unleash agendas of their own. Katie Shepherd, Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2024 That afternoon, House and Senate will gavel in, introduce bills in rapid succession and assign them to committees. The Indianapolis Star, 8 Jan. 2024 So, maybe a woman or person of color won’t be wielding the House gavel at this point next week. Philip Elliott, TIME, 5 Oct. 2023 That’s the same tightrope McCarthy—who only was granted his recently retired gavel in the 15th bruising round of speaker votes back in January—teetered on throughout his tenuous nine-month tenure. Matt Laslo, WIRED, 13 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gavel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of gavel was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near gavel

Cite this Entry

“Gavel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gavel. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gavel

noun
gav·​el
ˈgav-əl
: the mallet of an officer in charge of a meeting or of an auctioneer

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