n. [ OF. roele, rouele, properly, a little wheel, F. rouelle collop, slice, LL. rotella a little wheel, dim. of L. rota a wheel. See Roll, and cf. Rota. ] 1. The little wheel of a spur, with sharp points. [ 1913 Webster ]

With sounding whip, and rowels dyed in blood. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A little flat ring or wheel on horses' bits. [ 1913 Webster ]

The iron rowels into frothy foam he bit. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Far.) A roll of hair, silk, etc., passed through the flesh of horses, answering to a seton in human surgery. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Roweled r Rowelled; p. pr. & vb. n. Roweling or Rowelling. ] (Far.) To insert a rowel, or roll of hair or silk, into (as the flesh of a horse). Mortimer. [ 1913 Webster ]

See rewel bone. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]