ferrules

Noun

ferrule (plural ferrules)

1. A band or cap (usually metal) placed around a shaft to reinforce it or to prevent splitting.
   • The cane was produced in court; it was as stout as an old-fashioned club, and of terrific weight. The man who wielded it must have been very powerful, for he had only dealt one blow, but that blow had cracked the old man's skull. The cane was undoubtedly of foreign make, for it had a solid silver...1904, Baroness Emmuska Orczy, “The Ayrsham Mystery”, in The Royal Magazine, volume XIII, London: C[yril] A[rthur] Pearson, →OCLC, chapter II, page 261; republished as The Case of Miss Elliott, Kelly...
   1. (specifically) The metal spike at the end of the shaft of an ice axe.
      • He [Larry Penberthy] feels metal ice axes are the only safe ones. […] If you do purchase a wood-shafted ax, examine the grain carefully. It should be straight, free of knots and flaws, and continue unbroken from head to ferrule. Rub it often with linseed oil.1978 August 28, Bill March et al., “Choosing an Ice Ax”, in William Kemsley, Jr., editor, Backpacker, volume 6, number 4, Bedford Hills, N.Y.: Backpacker, Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 54, columns 2–3
2. A bushing for securing a pipe joint.
   • Lead pipe is usually wiped to caulking ferrules so it can be joined to another type of material. Ferrules must be made of red brass.2003, Howard C. Massey, “Installing Drainage and Vent Pipes”, in Illustrated Guide to the International Plumbing & Fuel Gas Codes, Carlsbad, Calif.: Craftsman Book Company, →ISBN, page 145, column 1
3. A metal sleeve placed inside a gutter at the top.
   • Another method of attaching gutters is the spike-and-ferrule system. Position the gutter, then temporarily nail it to the fascia with 6d common nails at several places. Place the ferrule inside the gutter at bead height, lined up with the end of a rafter. Drive the spike through the gutter bead...1969 September, Richard Day, “How to Install Gutters and Downspots”, in Robert P. Crossley, editor, Popular Mechanics, volume 132, number 3, New York, N.Y.: The Hearst Corporation, →ISSN, →OCLC, page...
4. The plastic band attaching the tip to the cue.
   • During a short break he clamped the tenon machine to the countertop; then he took a few cues that were in need of repair and began replacing their ferrules. […] By two-thirty, a dozen cues had new white ferrules and leather tips.1984 August, Walter Tevis, chapter 6, in The Color of Money, New York, N.Y.: Warner Books, →ISBN; republished New York, N.Y.: Warner Books, October 1986, →ISBN, pages 150–151
5. (painting) The pinched metal band which holds the bristles of a paintbrush or the eraser of a pencil to the shaft; a similar band crimped as part of a cable terminal or to terminate a hose.
   • The ferrule is the part of the brush that connects the bristles to the handle. The type of ferrule often dictates the name of the brush, such as a 3-inch flat-ferrule or an oval-ferrule sash. […] The ferrule is attached to the handle with small nails (brads) or by crimping the ferrule around the...2012, Susan Crabtree, Peter Beudert, “The Painting Tools of Scenic Artistry”, in Scenic Art for the Theatre, 3rd edition, Waltham, Mass.; Kidlington, Oxfordshire: Focal Press, →ISBN, part 2 (The...

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