pawls

Noun

pawl (plural pawls)

1. A pivoted catch designed to fall into a notch on a ratchet wheel so as to allow movement in only one direction (e.g. on a windlass or in a clock mechanism), or alternatively to move the wheel in one direction.
   • A pawl is a sort of catch that fits into a ratchet wheel and pushes it around, or it may be used as a catch to prevent the backward motion of a windlass or the wheel on a derrick.1910, Victor Appleton, Tom Swift and his Motorcycle
2. A similar device to prevent motion in other mechanisms besides ratchets.

See all 3 meanings of pawl