gavel

/ˈɡævl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɡævl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈga-vəl/ (ame, mw)

gavel — noun

  • gavelsingular
  • gavelsplural

1. a short wooden hammer that a judge, auction seller, or meeting leader taps on a

1.名詞C1
釋義

a short wooden hammer that a judge, auction seller, or meeting leader taps on a block to ask for quiet, signal a decision, or close a sale

例句

Judge Zuri banged her gavel three times to quiet the noisy courtroom.

collocation: bang the gavel

The auction seller raised his gavel and shouted 'Sold!' for fifty thousand dollars.

auction context: raise the gavel + shout 'Sold!'

同義詞
  • mallet

    broader term for any short hammer with a heavy head; a gavel is one type

  • hammer

    generic; loses the courtroom/auction/meeting connotation that 'gavel' carries

文法句型

bang/strike + the gavel

用法筆記

Subject who wields the gavel is usually a judge, auctioneer, or presiding officer. The verb collocates strongly with 'bang', 'tap', 'strike', 'raise', or 'pound'.

常見錯誤

The hammer of the judge fell on the table.
The judge's gavel fell on the table.
💡English uses 'gavel' specifically for this ceremonial hammer; calling it just 'hammer' loses the courtroom or auction meaning.
She knocked the gavel on the desk.
She banged the gavel on the desk.
💡'knock' implies a polite tap on a door; 'bang', 'tap', or 'strike' fits the gavel's purpose.

gavel — verb