pommels

Noun

pommel (plural pommels)

1. The upper front brow of a saddle.
   • But, if it does so sit, it is plain that the pommel must rise sufficiently to secure the withers from pressure; therefore it follows, that a horse whose withers are higher than common, (a well-built hunter for example,) requires a pommel higher by so much as he excels the generality of horses.1830, Charles Thompson, Rules for Bad Horsemen, 2nd edition

   Synonyms:

   swell, fork

2. Either of the rounded handles on a pommel horse.
   • The pommels, of which two sets must be provided, fit into these incisions.1867, Ernest George Ravenstein, The gymnasium and its fittings
3. The knob on the hilt of an edged weapon such as a sword or dagger.
   • The pommel is either a cone of metal or a crutch with a whorl ending either arm.1884, Richard F[rancis] Burton, “The Sword amongst the Barbarians (Early Roman Empire)”, in The Book of the Sword, London: Chatto and Windus, […], →OCLC, page 263
4. A knob forming the finial of a turret or pavilion.
   • One fragment of pillar had a pommel finial with a mortise, indicating that it once held a metal object, perhaps a cross.2005, Susan T. Stevens, Bir Ftouha: a pilgrimage church complex at Carthage
5. (obsolete) The bat used in the game of knurr and spell or trap ball.
   • The player, armed with a pommel, stands from two to three feet from the spell, places a knur in the cup which is held down by the rack.1871, Edmund Routledge, Routledge's Every Boy's Annual

See all 6 meanings of pommel