A tool or mechanical device used in mining or metalworking, possibly related to breaking or splitting material with a pointed implement.
From gavel (possibly related to a splitting or forcing action) plus lock (a fastening device or mechanism). The exact etymology is uncertain, as this is an archaic or specialized term with unclear historical documentation.
Gavelock appears in historical mining texts but has largely vanished from English—it's the kind of specialist vocabulary that dies when the trade itself becomes obsolete.
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