gambrel

noun

gam·​brel ˈgam-brəl How to pronounce gambrel (audio)
: a stick or iron for suspending slaughtered animals

Examples of gambrel 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.
Wall panels and wardrobe doors opened to reveal, variously, a garden, a snowdrift, and a deer carcass hanging on a gambrel. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 29 July 2024 On Valley Falls Road in Vernon, the historic red barn, built between 1875 and 1920 features a gambrel bank style and with a cupola and a timber frame structure. Pamm Cooper, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2024 Thread the gambrel through the natural holes in the hind legs (between the bone and thick tendon) and hoist your deer. Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 7 Sep. 2023 On Shelter Island, a 10,000-square-foot gambrel-style house with a 150-foot dock on Peconic Bay closed for $9.1 million last month after sitting on the market, initially at $10.9 million for two to three years. New York Times, 14 May 2021 Hanging an animal on a gambrel, particularly in a meat locker, is cleaner and easier. Will Brantley, Field & Stream, 20 Nov. 2020 The class started by hanging the deer on a gambrel to secure it off the ground and separate its hind legs. Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 14 Nov. 2020 Look for a gambrel with an integrated block and tackle to give a mechanical advantage when lifting heavy game. The Editors, Outdoor Life, 3 Jan. 2020 Roof styles included a mix of gable, hip, gambrel and jerkin-head. Micah Walker, Detroit Free Press, 27 Nov. 2019

Word History

Etymology

probably borrowed from Middle French (Norman) *gamberel, *gambereau (attested only in plural gambereaulx) "kind of pole or fork used by butchers," apparently re-formation or derivative of gambier, jambier "piece of wood used to keep the legs of a slaughtered animal separate," from gambe, jambe "leg" + -ier -er entry 2 — more at jamb

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gambrel was in 1547

Dictionary Entries Near gambrel

Cite this Entry

“Gambrel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gambrel. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on gambrel

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!