rowel

[ rou-uh l ]
/ ˈraʊ əl /

noun

a small wheel with radiating points, forming the extremity of a spur.
Veterinary Medicine. a piece of leather or the like inserted beneath the skin of a horse or other animal to promote drainage of an infection.

verb (used with object), row·eled, row·el·ing or (especially British) row·elled, row·el·ling.

to prick or urge with a rowel.
Veterinary Medicine. to insert a rowel in.

Origin of rowel

1350–1400; Middle English rowelle < Middle French ruelle, Old French roel < Late Latin rotella, equivalent to Latin rot(a) wheel + -ella -elle

OTHER WORDS FROM rowel

un·row·eled; especially British un·row·elled, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for roweling

British Dictionary definitions for roweling

rowel
/ (ˈraʊəl) /

noun

a small spiked wheel attached to a spur
vet science obsolete a piece of leather or other material inserted under the skin of a horse to act as a seton and allow drainage

verb -els, -elling or -elled or US -els, -eling or -eled (tr)

to goad (a horse) using a rowel
vet science obsolete to insert a rowel in (the skin of a horse) to allow drainage

Word Origin for rowel

C14: from Old French roel a little wheel, from roe a wheel, from Latin rota