Definition of "mandrel" [man•drel]

• A spindle or an axle used to secure or support material being machined or milled. (noun)
• A metal rod or bar around which material, such as metal or glass, may be shaped. (noun)
• A shaft on which a working tool is mounted, as in a dental drill. (noun)

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.

• "After heat-curing, the mandrel is removed, leaving a hollow tube."
• "A very economical method of clamping is that on the mandrel, which is also called expansion arbor."
• "A mandrel is a spindle or metal shaft around which other parts rotate."