A trowel is a small handheld tool with a flat metal blade used for digging, scooping, and smoothing. Think of it as a miniature shovel that fits comfortably in one hand.

Gardeners use trowels constantly: digging holes for planting bulbs, transplanting seedlings from pots into garden beds, or loosening soil around plant roots. The pointed tip makes it perfect for working in tight spaces between plants where a full-sized shovel won't fit.

Bricklayers and masons use a different kind of trowel with a flat, rectangular blade to spread and smooth mortar (the cement mixture that holds bricks together). They scoop up mortar, spread it evenly on bricks, then scrape away the excess. Archaeologists carry trowels too, carefully scraping away dirt layer by layer when excavating ancient sites, because a trowel gives them much more control than a shovel.

The word can also be a verb: you might trowel fresh soil around newly planted flowers, or trowel on thick frosting when decorating a cake (though you'd probably use a frosting spatula rather than an actual garden trowel!).