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   spool

   /spuːl/

   noun

   • 1. a cylindrical device on which film, magnetic tape, thread, or other flexible materials can be wound; a reel: "spools of electrical cable"
   • ▪ a cylindrical device attached to a fishing rod and used for winding and unwinding the line as required.
   • ▪ denoting furniture of a style popular in England in the 17th century and North America in the 19th century, typically ornamented with a series of small knobs resembling spools: "a narrow spool bed"

   verb

   • 1. wind (magnetic tape, thread, etc.) on to a spool: "he was trying to spool his tapes back into the cassettes with a pencil eraser"
   • ▪ be wound on or off a spool: "the plastic reel allows the line to run free as it spools out"
   • 2. send (data that is intended for printing or processing on a peripheral device) to an intermediate store: "users can set which folder they wish to spool files to"
   • 3. (of an engine) increase its speed of rotation, typically to that required for operation: "a jet engine can take up to six seconds to spool up"

   Word Origin Middle English (denoting a spool for thread): shortening of Old French espole or from Middle Low German spōle, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch spoel and German Spule. The verb dates from the early 17th century.

   Scrabble Points: 7

   • S

     1

   • P

     3

   • O

     1

   • O

     1

   • L

     1

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