Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
noun
- Also ferula. a rod, cane, or flat piece of wood for punishing children, especially by striking them on the hand.
verb (used with object), fer·uled, fer·ul·ing.
- to punish with a ferule.
noun, verb (used with object), fer·uled, fer·ul·ing.
noun
- a ring or cap, usually of metal, put around the end of a post, cane, or the like, to prevent splitting.
- a short metal sleeve for strengthening a tool handle at the end holding the tool.
- a bushing or adapter holding the end of a tube and inserted into a hole in a plate in order to make a tight fit, used in boilers, condensers, etc.
- a short ring for reinforcing or decreasing the interior diameter of the end of a tube.
- a short plumbing fitting, covered at its outer end and caulked or otherwise fixed to a branch from a pipe so that it can be removed to give access to the interior of the pipe.
- Angling.
- either of two fittings on the end of a section of a sectional fishing rod, one fitting serving as a plug and the other as a socket for fastening the sections together.
- one of two or more small rings spaced along the top of a casting rod to hold and guide the line.
verb (used with object), fer·ruled, fer·rul·ing.
- to furnish with a ferrule.
noun
- a flat piece of wood, such as a ruler, used in some schools to cane children on the hand
verb
- (tr) rare to punish with a ferule
noun
- a variant spelling of ferrule
noun
- a metal ring, tube, or cap placed over the end of a stick, handle, or post for added strength or stability or to increase wear
- a side opening in a pipe that gives access for inspection or cleaning
- a bush, gland, small length of tube, etc, esp one used for making a joint
verb
- (tr) to equip (a stick, etc) with a ferrule
“rod for punishing children,” 1590s, earlier “giant fennel” (early 15c.), from Middle English ferula “fennel plant” (late 14c.), from Latin ferula “reed, whip, rod, ferule, staff; fennel plant or rod,” probably related to festuca “stalk, straw, rod.”
“metal cap on a rod,” 1610s, ferule, earlier verrel (early 15c.), from Old French virelle, from Latin viriola “bracelet,” diminutive of viriae “bracelets,” from a Gaulish word (cf. Old Irish fiar “bent, crooked”); spelling influenced by Latin ferrum “iron.”