Row″el (?), 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.
With sounding whip, and rowels dyed in blood. Cowper.
2. A little flat ring or wheel on horses' bits.
The iron rowels into frothy foam he bit. Spenser.
3. (Far.) A roll of hair, silk, etc., passed through the flesh of horses, answering to a seton in human surgery.