Sometime they look like a wood mallet, ohters like a pepper mill Usued by presiding officier at a meeting to keep members in line Tables and podiums are not always the most effective surfaces to strike the gavel on, but the are the only ones recommended(see stealing)
A wooden mallet used by a judge to bring proceedings to a start or to an end or to command attention in his or her court No judge in the UK uses a gavel, but sometimes they are used at public enquiries 2 Payment of tribute, for example rent, to a superior