means The rounded knob at the end of a sword's hilt (or the raised front of a saddle), which counterbalances the blade and can serve as a striking surface.

from From Old French 'pomel,' a 'little apple' or rounded knob, a diminutive of Latin 'pomum,' meaning fruit or apple. The image is simple and tasty: a sword's hilt-end and a saddle's front-bump were both seen as little apple-shaped lumps. The same root gives us 'pomade' (originally an apple-scented ointment) and 'pomegranate' (literally 'seedy apple'). The verb 'to pummel' — to beat repeatedly — grew from this, since a pommel was a handy thing to hit someone with.