gavel
/ˈɡav(ə)l
/noun
A small hammer with which an auctioneer, a judge, or the chair of a meeting hits a surface to call for attention or order.For example, when the auctioneer hammers the gavel, a binding contract exists immediately....
- The judge banged on the table again, wielding the gavel like Thor's hammer, this time with a note of finality that echoed in the spacious room.
- These golden geese continued to be offered the way they sold best - in real-time sales with glossy printed catalogs and elegant auctioneers wielding polished wooden gavels.
verb (gavels, gavelling, gavelled; US gavels, gaveling, gaveled) [with object and adverbial]
Bring (a hearing or person) to order by use of a gavel: he gavelled the convention to order...
- He gaveled the hearing to a close, intimating that enough light had been shed on the issue to allow him to move forward.
- The host committee will hold delegation receptions throughout the city on Sunday, Aug.13, the day before the convention is gaveled to order.
- The warning didn't register with one windbag, and the committee members signaled the emcee to gavel the person off the dais.
Origin
Early 19th century (originally US in the sense 'stonemason's mallet'): of unknown origin.
Rhymes
- double indemnity
- double jeopardy
- double-jointed
- double-jointedness
- double-knit
- double knitting
- double lock
- double meaning
- double napoleon
- double negation
- double negative
- doubleness
- double obelisk
- double obelus
- double or quits (double or nothing)
- double-park
- double play
- double plugger
- Ticonderoga
- tic-tac
- tic-tac-toe
- t.i.d.
- tidal
- tidal basin
- tidal bore