From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Spool \Spool\ (sp[=oo]l), noun [OE. spole, OD. spoele, D. spoel; akin to G. spule, OHG. spuola, Dan. & Sw. spole.] A piece of cane or reed with a knot at each end, or a hollow cylinder of wood with a ridge at each end, used to wind thread or yarn upon.
{Spool stand}, an article holding spools of thread, turning on pins, -- used by women at their work.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Spool \Spool\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Spooled} (sp[=oo]ld); p. pr. & vb. n. {Spooling}.] To wind on a spool or spools.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
noun
1: a winder around which thread or tape or film or other flexible materials can be wound [syn: {bobbin}, {reel}]
verb
1: transfer data intended for a peripheral device (usually a printer) into temporary storage
2: wind onto a spool or a reel
From Jargon File (4.3.1, 29 Jun 2001) [jargon]:
spool vi. [from early IBM 'Simultaneous Peripheral Operation On-Line', but is widely thought to be a {backronym}] To send files to some device or program (a 'spooler') that queues them up and does something useful with them later. Without qualification, the spooler is the 'print spooler' controlling output of jobs to a printer; but the term has been used in connection with other peripherals (especially plotters and graphics devices) and occasionally even for input devices. See also {demon}.
From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:
Spool An {object-oriented} {logic programming} language. ["An Experience with a Prolog Based Language", K. Fukunaga et al, SIGPLAN Notices 21(11):224-231 (Nov 1986) (OOPSLA '86)]. [{Jargon File}] (1995-03-25)
From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:
spool To send files to some device or program (a "{spooler}" or {demon}) that puts them in a {queue} for later processing of some kind. Without qualification, the spooler is the "print spooler" controlling output of jobs to a {printer}; but the term has been used in connection with other {peripherals} (especially {plotters} and graphics devices) and occasionally even for input devices. The term "SPOOL" has been attributed to {IBM} as an acronym for {Simultaneous Peripheral Operation On-Line} but it's widely thought to have been contrived for effect. [No connection with "spool of magnetic tape"?] [{Jargon File}] (1996-05-20)
From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:
SPOOL Acronym for {Simultaneous Peripheral Operation On-Line}; but see also {spool}. [{Jargon File}] (1996-05-20)
From Virtual Entity of Relevant Acronyms (Version 1.9, June 2002) [vera]:
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