| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| PRONUNCIATION: |  b l |
| NOUN: | 1. The arched hooplike handle of a container, such as a pail. 2. An arch or hoop, such as one of those used to support the top of a covered wagon. 3. A hinged bar on a typewriter that holds the paper against the platen. 4. The pivoting U-shaped part of a fishing reel that guides the line onto the spool during rewinding. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Middle English beil, perhaps from Old English *b gel or of Scandinavian origin; see bheug- in Appendix I.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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