trowel

/ˈtraʊ(ə)l/

/ˈtraʊəl/

Other forms: trowels; troweled; troweling; trowelled; trowelling

A trowel is a tool for digging small holes or spreading plaster. If you're an avid gardener (or an apprentice bricklayer), you probably own a trowel.

Gardeners use trowels to dig shallow troughs for planting seeds, bulbs, or small plants. Gardening trowels are basically small shovels. When you're building a stone wall or grouting tile, your trowel will look a bit different—it will be flatter and possibly triangular in shape. The Late Latin source of trowel, truella, means "small ladle or dipper."

Definitions of trowel

1. noun

   a small hand tool with a handle and flat metal blade; used for scooping or spreading plaster or similar materials
   types:

   brick trowel, mason's trowel

   a trowel used in masonry

   garden trowel

   a trowel used by gardeners

   plastering trowel

   a trowel used to spread and smooth plaster

   pointing trowel

   a trowel used to fill and finish masonry joints with mortar or cement

   slick

   a trowel used to make a surface slick

   type of:

   hand tool

   a tool used with workers' hands
2. verb

   use a trowel on; for light garden work or plaster work
   type of:

   cut into, delve, dig, turn over

   turn up, loosen, or remove earth