bezel n.

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "two."

It forms all or part of: anadiplosis; balance; barouche; between; betwixt; bezel; bi-; binary; bis-; biscuit; combination; combine; deuce; deuterium; Deuteronomy; di- (1) "two, double, twice;" dia-; dichotomy; digraph; dimity; diode; diphthong; diploid; diploma; diplomacy; diplomat; diplomatic; diplodocus; double; doublet; doubloon; doubt; dozen; dual; dubious; duet; duo; duodecimal; duplex; duplicate; duplicity; dyad; epididymis; hendiadys; pinochle; praseodymium; redoubtable; twain; twelfth; twelve; twenty; twi-; twice; twig; twilight; twill; twin; twine; twist; 'twixt; two; twofold; zwieback.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit dvau, Avestan dva, Greek duo, Latin duo, Old Welsh dou, Lithuanian dvi, Old Church Slavonic duva, Old English twa, twegen, German zwei, Gothic twai "two;" first element in Hittite ta-ugash "two years old."

"wing-like," 1839; "of or pertaining to wings," 1847, from Latin alaris, from ala "wing, armpit, wing of an army" (source of Spanish ala, French aile), from *axla, originally "joint of the wing or arm;" from PIE *aks- "axis" (see axis).

1560s, "having equal alternate angles;" c. 1600, "sloping from the horizontal or vertical," possibly from Old French *baivel (Modern French béveau, biveau), which is perhaps from bayer "to gape, yawn," from Latin *batare "to yawn, gape," possibly imitative of yawning. But if so, the time gap is puzzling.

It is attested as a noun from 1610s, "tool or instrument for drawing angles and adjusting abutting surfaces;" by 1670s as "an angle between adjacent sides." The verb, "to reduce to a sloping edge," is recorded by 1670s. Related: Bevelled; bevelling.