ferrule

noun

fer·rule ˈfer-əl

ˈfe-rəl

: a ring or cap usually of metal put around a slender shaft (such as a cane or a tool handle) to strengthen it or prevent splitting

: a usually metal sleeve used especially for joining or binding one part to another (such as pipe sections or the bristles and handle of a brush)

ferruled

ˈfer-əld

ˈfe-rəld

adjective

Did you know?

Ferrule is a word for a simple metal band or cap of great versatility. The ferrule is ubiquitous. It is the cap at the end of a cane or crutch, a chair or table leg; it is the point or knob at the hub of an umbrella; it fits together tubes and pipes and binds paintbrush handles to bristles and pencils to erasers. In Middle English this universal thingamajig was called a verrel. That word commonly referred to the strengthening bands or rings of iron used to prevent the splitting or wear of the wooden shafts of implements. The name evolved from Middle French virelle and Old French virol and ultimately from Latin viriola, meaning "small bracelet." The "f" spelling of today's ferrule was influenced by ferrum, the Latin word for "iron."

Examples of ferrule in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Before the ferrule, crafting paintbrushes was a time-consuming and expensive operation involving the binding of hog, pig, boar, and horse hair to a wood handle. —

Nick Mafi, Architectural Digest, 27 Sep. 2024 Now, the metal ferrule could be flattened, allowing for flat bristles that could create small, short, and dashing results on the canvas. —

Nick Mafi, Architectural Digest, 27 Sep. 2024 Hang the brush to dry, or place it across something like a yogurt container where the handle and ferrule support it but air can circulate. —

Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 5 July 2024 Comb from the ferrule toward the tips of the bristles. —

Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 5 July 2024 Most ferrules can rust, so do not leave a wet brush sitting on a surface where the stain could be an issue. —

Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 5 July 2024 Next is the din of ratcheting as aluminum ferrules and erasers are punched onto ends. —

Danny Freedman, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 June 2023 The steel ferrule won’t rust or corrode and the sealed maple handle is a cinch to keep clean. —

Alex Rennie, Popular Mechanics, 3 Mar. 2023 Caspi also fitted two tomato cans to the wood for the pencil’s ferrule — who knew that’s the name for the metal band — and colored in the sharpened tip with pencil graphite. —

Alison Cross, Hartford Courant, 20 July 2022

Word History

Etymology

alteration of Middle English virole, from Anglo-French, from Latin viriola, diminutive of viria bracelet, of Celtic origin; akin to Old Irish fiar oblique

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of ferrule was in 1611

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