Emily Dickinson Lexicon

GIM'LET, n. [Fr. gibelet; Arm. guymeled. Gimlet seems to be the same word as wimble, with the Celtic pronunciation, guimble, and if m is casual, and the primary word is gibelet or guibelet, the elements of the word coincide with wabble, quibble, and with the W. gwid, a serpentine motion, gwibiaw, to wander, to move in a circular direction, gwiber, a serpent, a viper, and the primary sense is to turn.]

A borer; a small instrument with a pointed screw at the end, for boring holes in wood by turning. It is applied only to small instruments; a large instrument of the like kind is called an auger.