Keel

Quick meaning: Keel is a noun meaning (nautical) A large beam along the underside of a ship’s hull from bow to stern.

Meaning

(nautical) A large beam along the underside of a ship’s hull from bow to stern.

More Meanings

1. (nautical) A rigid, flat piece of material anchored to the lowest part of the hull of a ship to give it greater control and stability.
2. (by extension) The rigid bottom part of something else, especially an iceberg.
3. (nautical) A type of flat-bottomed boat.
4. (zoology) The periphery of a whorl extended to form a more or less flattened plate; a prominent spiral ridge.
5. (botany) The two lowest petals of the corolla of a papilionaceous flower, united and enclosing the stamens and pistil; a carina.
6. (intransitive, in keel over) To collapse, to fall.
7. (aeronautics) In a dirigible, a construction similar in form and use to a ship's keel; in an aeroplane, a fin or fixed surface employed to increase stability and to hold the machine to its course.

Example Sentences

He keeled over after having a stroke.

I hear the noise about thy keel; ⁠I hear the bell struck in the night: ⁠I see the cabin-window bright; I see the sailor at the wheel.

The ladies remained at the house, while the men walked to the staith on the [River] Wear, and were shown the process of unloading the wagons into the keels by means of the coal-drop.

Would he be able to break through the surface ice or would they ram into an ice keel extending down from the bottom of the ice pack that would rip their craft open like a mere sardine can?

Word Forms

• keels
• keeling
• keeled

Synonyms for keel

Depending on context, synonyms include lurch, stagger, careen, swag, reel.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include careen, swag, lurch, reel, stagger, helm.

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