- spool (n.)
- early 14c., "wheel for winding thread upon," from Old North French spole, espole "a spool" (13c.), from Middle Dutch spoele "a spool," from Proto-Germanic *spolon (source also of Norwegian and Swedish spole, Old High German spuola, German Spule "a spool, bobbin"), from PIE root *spel- "to cleave, split" (see spoil (v.)).
- spool (v.)
- c. 1600, from spool (n.). Related: Spooled; spooling; spooler (1550s).
