Gavel

A small hammer struck by a presiding officer or auctioneer to call for attention, mark a decision, or close bidding.

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Auction: A sale in which buyers compete to purchase goods, commonly by bidding. An auctioneer may strike a gavel to close bidding and confirm a sale.
Authority: The recognized right or power to direct conduct, make decisions, or enforce rules. A gavel makes the presiding officer’s power to control proceedings visible and audible.
Gavel block: A small, often wooden base struck by a gavel to produce a clear sound and protect surfaces. The block receives the strike that gives a gavel its distinctive signal.
Auctioneer: A person who conducts an auction by soliciting and recognizing bids. Auctioneers adopted the gavel as a practical signal for ending bidding.
Parliamentary procedure: Rules and practices for conducting deliberative meetings and making decisions. Meeting chairs may use a gavel to call sessions to order or restore attention.
Symbol: A sign, object, or action that represents an idea beyond its literal meaning. The gavel represents legal or institutional authority even when no gavel is used.
Bell: A hollow resonant object that produces sound when struck or moved by a clapper. A bell can call a meeting to order without the gavel’s gesture of authority.
Hammer: A tool with a weighted head used to strike objects. The gavel is a specialized ceremonial and signaling form of hammer.
Courtroom: A room where judicial proceedings take place. The gavel is a familiar symbol of judicial authority, though its use varies by court.
Justice: The principle of treating people fairly and giving them what is due under moral or legal standards. Gavel imagery often evokes justice, although the object itself does not guarantee a fair outcome.