keel over
English
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keel over
- /ˈkiːl ˈəʊvə(ɹ)/ UK
- /ˈkil ˈoʊvɚ/ US
Where it comes from
The original nautical meaning (sense 1) refers to a vessel rolling to the extent that its keel (“a large beam along the underside of the vessel’s hull from bow to stern”) is visible.
verb keels over · keeling over · keeled over
- Of a vessel: to roll so far on its side that it cannot recover; to capsize or turn turtle. What a tiny little schooner! But is it not bold to spread both sails? And see, now that we have come round to the wind, how the skiff keels over.
- To collapse in a faint; to black out, to swoon. We should all go inside before somebody keels over from the heat.
- To die. The enemy had planted a piece of ordinance within gun-shot of the fort during the night, and the first thing in the morning they commenced a brisk cannonade, point-blank, against the spot where I was snoring. I turned out pretty smart, and mounted the rampart. The gun was charged again, a fellow ste
Translations
Every language
verb of a vessel: to roll so far on its side that it cannot recover — see also capsize
| Español | zozobrar, volcar |
|---|---|
| Français | se retourner, se renverser, chavirer |
| Deutsch | kentern |
| Русский | переверну́ться perevernútʹsja |
verb to collapse in a faint — see also faint
| Français | tomber dans les pommes |
|---|---|
| Ελληνικά | ντεραπάρω nterapáro |
| Русский | отключи́ться otključítʹsja, вы́рубиться výrubitʹsja |
Talk about this word "keel over." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/keel%20over. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. keel over. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/keel%20over "keel over." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/keel%20over.Cite this
@misc{keel_over_2026,
title = {keel over},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/keel%20over},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
