Now only dial. Forms: 4 tuelle, tuwel, 5 tewelle, touele, towel, 5–7 tewell, 6–8 tuell, 7 tuill, tiwill, 4–8 tuel, 4– tewel. [a. OF. tuel, tuele, etc. (12th c. in Godef.) a tube, pipe, tuyere, mod.F. tuyau, = ME. TUTEL beak, Sp., Pg., Pr. tudel tube:—Romanic type *tūtellum, referred to a German word repr. by MDu. tûte, Du. tuit pipe, nipple, etc., LG. tûte, tüte beak, snout, pipe, etc.: cf. also ON. túta teat-like prominence, Sw. tut pipe, Da. tud spout. As to ulterior etymology see Franck, s.v. tuit.]
† 1. A shaft or opening for the escape of smoke, etc.; a chimney. Obs.
c. 1384. Chaucer, H. Fame, III. 559. Suche a smoke gan out wende … As dothe where that men melt lede Loo alle on high fro the tuelle.
1483. Cath. Angl., 380/2. A Tewelle of a chymnay, epicavsterium.
1567. Fenton, Trag. Disc., v. (1898), I. 236. The chamber where our Cornelio was rammed up in the tewell of a chymney.
† b. transf. The vent or opening in a pie-crust.
c. 1420. Liber Cocorum (1862), 38. In myddes þo lydde an tuel þou make, Set hit in þo ovyn for to bake; Ȝete take hit oute, fede hit with wyne.
† c. A conduit. Obs. rare–1.
1725. Pearce, Laws & Cust. Stannaries, Introd. 13. The said Conduit, which the Tinners commonly call a Tuell, and may properly descend from the Latin Word Tutela.
2. The anus; the rectum, or lower bowel: now chiefly of animals, esp. horses. [Not in OFr.]
c. 1386. Chaucer, Sompn. T., 440. And whan this sike man felte this frere Aboute his tuwel [v.rr. tuel, tewel, touele] grope there and heere.
c. 1425. trans. Arderne’s Treat. Fistula (E.E.T.S.), 9. Þe skynne atuyx þe tewel & þe fistule.
1523. Fitzherb., Husb., § 85. Broken wynded is a yll dysease,… and appereth at his nosethryll, at his flanke, and also at his tuell.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, II. xcvii. 281. Swellings and inflammations of the tuell or fundement.
1601. Holland, Pliny, XXI. xix. 106. Violets … a peculiar vertue they have … to helpe the procidence or falling downe both of tuill and matrice.
c. 1720. W. Gibson, Farrier’s Dispens., x. (1734), 241. Keeping the Horses tail close to his Tuel.
1895. Gloss. E. Anglia, Tewel, the vent or fundament of a horse.
3. (See quots., and TEW-IRON, TUYERE.)
1677. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., No. 1. 2. In the back of the Forge … is fixed a thick Iron plate, and a taper Pipe in it … called a Tewel, or (as some call it) a Tewl-Iron…. Into this taper Pipe or Tewel is placed the Nose or Pipe of the Bellows.
1831. J. Holland, Manuf. Metal, I. 163. A stout perforated core of … iron, called the tewel or tew-iron.
