/ spuːl; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
( especially NAmE ) = reel (1):
a spool of thread
■ verb [ vn + adv. / prep. ]
1.
to wind sth onto or off a spool
2.
[ vn , v ] ( computing ) to move data and store it for a short time, for example on a disk, especially before it is printed
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English (denoting a spool for thread): shortening of Old French espole or from Middle Low German spōle , of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch spoel and German Spule . The verb dates from the early 17th cent.