Swell (verb): To increase in size, volume, or capacity, often due to the absorption of moisture or gas.
Dowel (noun): A cylindrical rod, typically made of wood, plastic, or metal, used to reinforce joints or as a fastening device in woodworking and crafts.
Frequency of Use:
The term "swell dowel" is specialized and not commonly used in everyday conversation. It may more frequently appear in written contexts, particularly in woodworking, crafting, or DIY instruction manuals or articles.
Example Sentences
The swell dowel fit perfectly into the joint, reinforcing the structure.
Доска с распухшим шкантом идеально вошла в соединение, укрепив конструкцию.
After adding moisture, the swell dowel expanded to fill the gap in the furniture piece.
После добавления влаги распухший шкант расширился, заполнив щель в мебельной детали.
I noticed that the swell dowel had changed shape, which affected the stability of the shelf.
Я заметил, что распухший шкант изменил форму, что повлияло на устойчивость полки.
Idiomatic Expressions
Although "swell dowel" is not a common idiomatic expression, it might be useful in constructions involving the concept of swelling or expansion in a figurative sense. Here are idioms related to "swell" that are used in the language:
Swell with pride: To become overly pleased or boastful about one's achievements.
She swelled with pride when she received her award.
Она распирала гордость, когда получила свою награду.
Swell up: To increase size or volume, often used in medical contexts or to describe emotions.
Her ankle began to swell up after the injury.
Ее лодыжка начала распухать после травмы.
Swell the ranks: To increase the number of people in a group or organization.
We aim to swell the ranks of our volunteers by next month.
Мы намерены увеличить ряды наших волонтеров к следующему месяцу.
Swell-headed: To be conceited or overly self-satisfied.
After his promotion, he became quite swell-headed.
После повышения он стал довольно самодовольным.
Etymology
Swell: Derived from the Old English "swellan," meaning "to swell, expand," coming from Proto-Germanic roots.
Dowel: Originates from the Middle English "dowel," a diminutive of "dowl," meaning "a little piece of wood." The term has roots in Anglo-French and Latin.
Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms for swell: Expand, inflate, enlarge.
Antonyms for swell: Contract, shrink, decrease.
Synonyms for dowel: Rod, peg, pin.
Antonyms for dowel: (There aren’t direct antonyms since "dowel" refers to a specific object; however, terms like "space" or "gap" could imply the absence of a dowel in a structural sense.)