Sc. and north. dial. [Etym. obscure. GAVEL sb.4 is probably a variant of this.] A kind of hammer for rough-hewing or breaking stone (see quot. 1793); also kevel-hammer, -mell. Hence Kevel v., to break (stones).

1

1360.  Fabric Rolls York Minster (Surtees), 2. Pro factura ix. wegges et novo kevell et j melle ferri.

2

1368.  Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 571. Pro … pikkis, hakkis, et kevellis faciend. Ibid. (1404), 397. In custodia Sementarii … j kevyll.

3

1793.  Smeaton, Edystone L., § 108. A tool called a Kevel, which is at one end a hammer, and at the other an axe, whose edge is so short or narrow that it approaches towards the shape of a pick.

4

1825–80.  Jamieson, Kavel-mell, a sledge-hammer, a hammer of a large size used for breaking stones.

5

1893.  Northumbld. Gloss., Kevel, kyevel, a stone-hammer, the common gavel. Kyevel-hammer, a heavy hammer used by stone-breakers to break up the large blocks of road metal.

6