A gimlet is turned by its cross-handle so that the threaded point draws the cutting edge into timber. It makes small, neat holes for screws or pegs and was once common in carpentry and household repair. In poetry its modest size contrasts with its ability to penetrate solid material. The tool may suggest persistence, curiosity, or an insistent gaze that bores beneath appearances. Its twisting movement can also evoke worry, guilt, or memory working gradually into the mind until resistance gives way.

A gimlet is smaller and simpler than most drills, with a screw-like point that draws itself into wood as the handle turns. It frequently appears in older writing as a familiar carpenter's or household tool. In figurative language, gimlet-eyed describes an unusually sharp or penetrating gaze. Poets may therefore use the tool to suggest persistence, scrutiny, suspicion, or a thought that bores steadily inward. Related terms include auger, brace, bit, drill, boring, screw point, carpentry, penetration, observation, persistence, sharpness, and concentrated attention.