I. noun
also spawl ˈspȯl
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English spalle — more at spale
1. : chip , flake ; especially : a small fragment broken from the face or edge of a material (as stone, metal, concrete, glass, or a ceramic product) and having at least one featheredge
spalls from marble-dressing operations — H.P.Chandler & Nan Jensen
2. : a fragment removed from a rock surface by weathering
few exfoliation spalls detach themselves from the parent mass in the form of lenses — Journal of Geology
3. : cross-spale
II. verb
also spawl “
( -ed/-ing/-s )
transitive verb
1. : to break up (ore) with a hammer usually preparatory to crushing
2. : to reduce (as irregular stone blocks) approximately to size by chipping with a hammer
3. : to cause to break off in spalls
avoid spalling the concrete in drilling
intransitive verb
1. : to break off chips, scales, or slabs from the surface or edge often as the result of a rapid change of temperature : exfoliate
the dead-burned magnesia produced does not spall — R.N.Shreve
— often used with off or away
the spalling off of the outer layers of a rock
frost action … and other unavoidable influences tend to cause the mortar to spall away from the joints — Railway Engineering & Maintenance Cycl.
2. : to split off particles as the result of bombardment in such a manner that a large part remains — used of a surface, target, or nucleus
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: alteration of spauld
archaic : shoulder