gavel

/ˈgævəl/

/ˈgævəl/

Other forms: gavels

You know that wooden hammer a judge slams down on his desk when he's trying to bring order to the court? That's a gavel.

Judges aren't the only ones who use gavels. They are common in governments large and small, where they are used to bring order to the often unruly rooms where government happens. But they are also a sign of who's in charge. The practice of turning control from one party, or one person, to another, is done by "passing the gavel." It's a big deal when the outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives turns over the gavel to the incoming Speaker. Sometimes it looks like the hand-off won't happen — a gavel being the ultimate sign of authority and power.

Definitions of gavel

1. noun

   a small mallet used by a presiding officer or a judge
   type of:

   beetle, mallet

   a tool resembling a hammer but with a large head (usually wooden); used to drive wedges or ram down paving stones or for crushing or beating or flattening or smoothing