What does wimble mean?
A wimble is a rare name for an old-fashioned tool used to bore holes, particularly in wood. It belongs to the vocabulary of hand tools and traditional woodworking and is now encountered chiefly in historical writing or specialist contexts. The verb “to wimble” means to make or bore a hole with this tool; more generally, it can describe the action performed with a similar hand-powered boring implement. In older usage, the distinction between a drill, a brace, and a wimble could depend on the design of the tool and the material being pierced. Although largely superseded by more familiar modern terms such as drill and auger, wimble is a useful example of how English preserves specialized vocabulary associated with traditional crafts. Its rarity also makes it recognizable as a period or woodworking term when it appears in older texts.
An old-fashioned hand tool for boring holes, especially in wood.
"The carpenter used a wimble to bore a hole through the oak beam."
Rare and chiefly associated with traditional woodworking, shipbuilding, and historical toolmaking.
To bore or make a hole using a wimble.
"She wimbled a clean hole in the metal plate."
Transitive and uncommon; modern speakers would usually say “to bore a hole.”
The plural is wimbles, although the word itself is now rare.
"The drawer contained several old wimbles and boring bits."
A wimble was essentially a hand-powered drill before electric drills became commonplace.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does wimble come from?
The word entered English in the early modern period from German Wimbel, an old term associated with a drill or boring tool. The English verb developed by using the borrowed noun to describe the action of making a hole with the implement. The deeper origin of the German word is uncertain.
Related word forms
How wimble is actually used
Wimble is uncommon in modern English and belongs mainly to traditional woodworking, shipbuilding, and historical toolmaking vocabulary. It can sound literary, archaic, or deliberately traditional rather than technical.
Easily confused with wimble
A wimple is a cloth covering for the neck and chin, whereas a wimble is a tool used to bore holes.
A gimlet is a small hand tool with a pointed screw bit, while a wimble is an older, more general term for a boring tool.