keel
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keel¹
- /kiːl/ UK
Rhymes with -iːl
Where it comes from
From Middle English kele, from Old Norse kjǫlr, itself from Proto-Germanic *keluz, of uncertain origin. Displaced Old English ċēol from a related root. Distantly related to kile.
noun keels
- A large beam along the underside of a ship’s hull from bow to stern. 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.
- A rigid, flat piece of material anchored to the lowest part of the hull of a ship to give it greater control and stability.
- 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.
- The rigid bottom part of something else, especially an iceberg. The most important ice features are the frequency and extent of downward projections (bummocks and ice keels) from the underside of the ice canopy (pack ice and enclosed water areas from the point of view of the submariner)[…]
- A type of flat-bottomed boat. 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.
- The periphery of a whorl extended to form a more or less flattened plate; a prominent spiral ridge. Metanotum shining, indistinctly punctured at the base in the centre, the sides closely punctured; the areola large, obliquely narrowed at the base, its apex open, there are 2 lateral areas, both widely open at the base on the outerside; the posterior median area bears about 10 stout, transverse keel
- The two lowest petals of the corolla of a papilionaceous flower, united and enclosing the stamens and pistil; a carina. Vegetatively it is the nearest to H. translucens with its oblong-lanceolate leaves, with the margins and keel beset with pellucid teeth, but it differs and is characterised by the greyish-black quadrantly positioned globose flowers; […]
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The extension of a bird's sternum to which pectoral muscles attach.
Similar: carina
verb keels · keeling · keeled
- To collapse, to fall. He keeled over after having a stroke.
- To traverse with a keel; to navigate.
- To turn up the keel; to show the bottom.
keel²
Where it comes from
From Middle English kelen, from Old English cēlan (“to cool, to make or become cool”), from Proto-West Germanic *kōlijan, from Proto-Germanic *kōlijaną (“to cool”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian käile, köile (“to cool”), Dutch koelen (“to cool”), German Low German köhlen (“to cool”), German kühlen (“to cool”), Danish køle (“to cool”), Icelandic kæla (“to cool”).
verb keels · keeling · keeled
- To cool; make cool; to cool by stirring or skimming in order to keep from boiling over. A merrie note, / While greaſie Ione doth keele the pot.
- To moderate the ardour or intensity of; assuage; to appease, pacify, or lessen.
- To become cool; cool down.
noun keels
- A broad, flat vessel used for cooling liquids; a brewer's cooling vat; a keelfat.
keel³
Where it comes from
Probably from Scottish Gaelic cìl (“ruddle”).
noun
- Red chalk; ruddle.
verb keels · keeling · keeled
- To mark with ruddle.
keel⁴
Where it comes from
Compare Scots kele, keil, keill (“to put to death, kill”).
verb keels · keeling · keeled
- Pronunciation spelling of kill
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: careen, swag, lurch, reel, stagger, helm, handrail, bar, pin, marble, throat, language, kiel, kil, kjell, collapse
Translations
Every language
noun beam along the underside of a ship’s hull
| Español | quilla |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 용골 yonggol |
| 日本語 | 竜骨 ryūkotsu |
| 中文 | 龍骨 /龙骨 lónggǔ |
| Português | quilha |
| Français | quille |
| Deutsch | Kiel |
| Italiano | carena, chiglia |
| Română | chilă |
| Русский | киль kilʹ |
| العربية | صَالِب ṣālib |
| עברית | שדרית shidrít, שִׁדְרָה shidrah |
noun rigid flat piece of material giving a ship greater control and stability
| Español | quilla |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Kiel, Schwert |
| Italiano | deriva |
| Русский | киль kilʹ |
| עברית | שדרן shidran |
verb collapse, fall
| Ελληνικά | καταρρέω katarréo, σωριάζομαι soriázomai |
|---|
Talk about this word "keel." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/keel. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. keel. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/keel "keel." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/keel.Cite this
@misc{keel_2026,
title = {keel},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/keel},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
