noun
spool
spool
noun
1
A cylinder that thread, wire, film, or cable is wound around.
"She threaded a fresh spool of cotton onto the sewing machine."
"The fishing rod's spool was nearly out of line."
verb
1
To send a document or job to a printer or other device, where it waits in a queue to be processed.
"The document was spooling to the printer but never came out."
How to Use Spool
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA reel that thread or cable winds around, or (in computing) to queue a job like a print request.
Common pairings
spool of thread
print spooling
Word Forms
spooled past tense, spools plural, spools plural, spools singular
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She threaded a fresh _____ of cotton onto the sewing machine.
Etymology
From Middle Dutch spoele, related to Proto-Germanic roots meaning "to split" — likely referring to the split wood spools were originally made from.