- (n.) A pivoted tongue or sliding bolt, on one part of a machine, adapted to fall into notches or interdental spaces, on another part, as a ratchet wheel, in such a manner as to permit motion in one direction and prevent it in the reverse, as in a windlass; a catch, click or detent. See Illust. of Ratchet Wheel.
- (v.t.) To stop with a pawl; to drop the pawls off.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). pawl. Retrieved September 24, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/pawl/definitions/2042838 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "pawl" http://smartdefine.org/pawl/definitions/2042838 (accessed September 24, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, pawl, Smart Define, viewed 24 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/pawl/definitions/2042838>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "pawl" 27 May 2011. Web. 24 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/pawl/definitions/2042838> |