Row"el (?), n. [OF. roele, rouele, properly, a little wheel, F. rouelle collop, slice, LL. rotella a little wheel, dim. of L. rota a wheel. See Roll, and cf. Rota.]
1.
The little wheel of a spur, with sharp points.
With sounding whip, and rowels dyed in blood.
Cowper.
2.
A little flat ring or wheel on horses' bits.
The iron rowels into frothy foam he bit.
Spenser.
3. Far.
A roll of hair, silk, etc., passed through the flesh of horses, answering to a seton in human surgery.
© Webster 1913.
Row"el, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Roweled (?) or Rowelled; p. pr. & vb. n. Roweling or Rowelling.] Far.
To insert a rowel, or roll of hair or silk, into (as the flesh of a horse).
Mortimer.
© Webster 1913.