Definition of "dowel" [dow•el]

• A usually round pin that fits tightly into a corresponding hole to fasten or align two adjacent pieces. (noun)
• A piece of wood driven into a wall to act as an anchor for nails. (noun)
• To fasten or align with dowels: table legs that are doweled to the top. (verb-transitive)
• To equip with dowels. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "I use a 4 foot long, 1 inch hardwood dowel from the hardware store."
• "Opening dough with a dowel is harder than it looks."
• "Turned pins are left on the shaft and the base, and these are secured at the joint by the use of a double-pointed screw called a dowel screw."