▪ I. tewel, tuel Now only dial.
(ˈtjuːəl)
Forms: 4 tuelle, tuwel, 5 tewelle, touele, towel, 5–7 tewell, 6–8 tuell, 7 tuill, tiwill, 4–8 tuel, 4– tewel.
[a. OF. tuel, tuele, etc. (12th c. in Godef.) a tube, pipe, tuyere, mod.F. tuyau, = ME. tutel beak, Sp., Pg., Pr. tudel tube:—Romanic type *tūtellum, referred to a German word repr. by MDu. tûte, Du. tuit pipe, nipple, etc., LG. tûte, tüte beak, snout, pipe, etc.: cf. also ON. t{uacu}ta teat-like prominence, Sw. tut pipe, Da. tud spout. As to ulterior etymology see Franck, s.v. tuit.]
† 1. A shaft or opening for the escape of smoke, etc.; a chimney. Obs.
| c 1384 Chaucer H. Fame iii. 559 Suche a smoke gan out wende..As dothe where that men melt lede Loo alle on high fro the tuelle. 1483 Cath. Angl. 380/2 A Tewelle of a chymnay, epicavsterium. 1567 Fenton Trag. Disc. v. (1898) I. 236 The chamber where our Cornelio was rammed up in the tewell of a chymney. |
† b. transf. The vent or opening in a pie-crust.
| c 1420 Liber Cocorum (1862) 38 In myddes þo lydde an tuel þou make, Set hit in þo ovyn for to bake; Ȝete take hit oute, fede hit with wyne. |
† c. A conduit. Obs. rare— 1.
| 1725 Pearce Laws & Cust. Stannaries Introd. 13 The said Conduit, which the Tinners commonly call a Tuell, and may properly descend from the Latin Word Tutela. |
2. The anus; the rectum, or lower bowel: now chiefly of animals, esp. horses. [Not in OFr.]
| c 1386 Chaucer Sompn. T. 440 And whan this sike man felte this frere Aboute his tuwel [v.rr. tuel, tewel, touele] grope there and heere. c 1425 tr. Arderne's Treat. Fistula (E.E.T.S.) 9 Þe skynne atuyx þe tewel & þe fistule. 1523 Fitzherb. Husb. §85 Broken wynded is a yll dysease,..and appereth at his nosethryll, at his flanke, and also at his tuell. 1578 Lyte Dodoens ii. xcvii. 281 Swellings and inflammations of the tuell or fundement. 1601 Holland Pliny xxi. xix. 106 Violets..a peculiar vertue they have..to helpe the procidence or falling downe both of tuill and matrice. c 1720 W. Gibson Farrier's Dispens. x. (1734) 241 Keeping the Horses tail close to his Tuel. 1895 Gloss. E. Anglia, Tewel, the vent or fundament of a horse. |
3. (See quots., and tew-iron, tuyere.)
| 1677 Moxon Mech. Exerc. No. i. 2 In the back of the Forge..is fixed a thick Iron plate, and a taper Pipe in it..called a Tewel, or (as some call it) a Tewl-Iron... Into this taper Pipe or Tewel is placed the Nose or Pipe of the Bellows. 1831 J. Holland Manuf. Metal I. 163 A stout perforated core of..iron, called the tewel or tew-iron. |
▪ II. tewel(l, -e
obs. forms of towel.