spool

1 of 2

noun

1
: a cylindrical device which has a rim or ridge at each end and an axial hole for a pin or spindle and on which material (such as thread, wire, or tape) is wound
2
: material or the amount of material wound on a spool

spool

2 of 2

verb

spooled; spooling; spools

transitive verb

1
: to wind on a spool
2
: wind entry 3
spool the thread off the bobbin
3
: to regulate the transmission of by means of a spooler
spool data

intransitive verb

1
: to wind itself on a spool
2
: to be wound or unwound
3
: to regulate data flow by means of a spooler

Examples of spool in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The spools frame her mask-like open mouth, decorating voids in the human skull that signaled the soul’s vivacity in pre-Columbian culture. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2024 Most anglers just rinse their fly reels off with freshwater, but that water may not penetrate and flush the coils of thick line on the spool. Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 7 Dec. 2023 There were rolls of oilcloth to make table covers, spools of ribbons and bows to lend flair to gifts, fleece for blankets, foam for cushions, a spectrum of threads and rainbows of yarn. John Carlisle, Detroit Free Press, 25 Feb. 2024 They are accused of shipping meth to be sold in Australia and New Zealand hidden in spools of 3D printing filament, utility cases, wine opener sets, drive shafts and other items, prosecutors said. Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 8 Feb. 2024 With each bite, the meat came unraveled, like a spool of thread. Malcolm Mayhew, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2024 The other family is made up of coiling proteins, molecules that wrap DNA into spools. Carl Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 12 Apr. 2023 With this extra-long 108-foot spool of LED lights that switches between the two, the answer is both. Gabriela Izquierdo, Southern Living, 15 Nov. 2023 The ribbon spool cup is meant to look like ribbons are wrapped around the holiday cup. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 6 Dec. 2023
Verb
The anchor line spooled out and tightened, slowing the boat down quickly, officials told AL.com. Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2024 Having more than one bluegill setup spooled with different line for different situations can prove very handy. David A. Brown, Field & Stream, 28 Feb. 2024 Making massive shifts in the business can take time to spool up new sales and, in turn, crunch liquidity. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Xist helps shut down one of the two X’s in each female cell by coating the chromosome in a way that looks a bit like a cloud of cotton candy spooled around a cone at a county fair. Jonathan Wosen Reprints, STAT, 1 Feb. 2024 On a tournament on Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Texas, Daniel had No. 7 Shad Raps rigged on three different fishing rods each spooled with different sizes of line — 8-pound, 12-pound and 17-pound. Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 Speaking of rods and reels, most serious gator hunters keep a short, heavy saltwater spinning rod and reel spooled with heavy braid handy in the boat, and it’s equipped with a 12/0 weighted treble hook, which can be cast over the gator to snag him. Will Brantley, Field & Stream, 1 June 2023 Quality and craftsmanship: Is the line consistent and reliable from spool to spool? Price: Does the line offer good value? Jerry Audet, Field & Stream, 13 Mar. 2023 The turbo spools up quickly through short final-drive gearing to provide terrific thrust. Frank Markus, Car and Driver, 31 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spool.' 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

Middle English spole, from Middle Dutch spoele; akin to Old High German spuola spool

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1603, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spool was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near spool

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

spool

noun
ˈspül
1
: a cylinder which has a rim at each end and on which something (as thread, wire, or tape) is wound
2
: material wound on a spool

More from Merriam-Webster on spool

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