gunnel

¹

[ guhn-l ]

noun

1. any small eellike blenny of the family Pholididae (Pholidae), especially Pholis gunnellus rock gunnel, orbutterfish, common in shallow waters of the North Atlantic.

gunnel

²

[ guhn-l ]

noun

, Nautical.

1. gunwale.

gunnel

¹

/ ˈɡʌnəl /

noun

1. See butterfish
   any eel-like blennioid fish of the family Pholidae, occurring in coastal regions of northern seas See also butterfish

gunnel

²

/ ˈɡʌnəl /

noun

1. See gunwale
   a variant spelling of gunwale

Word History and Origins

Origin of gunnel¹

First recorded in 1680–90; origin uncertain

Origin of gunnel²

1425–75; Middle English. See gunwale

Word History and Origins

Origin of gunnel¹

C17: of unknown origin

Origin of gunnel²

C15: from gun + wale ¹from its use to support guns

Example Sentences

So maybe you don’t want to be out there with a sledgehammer in the winter breaking ice off the gunnels.

From Freakonomics

One would think that the ballast of the ship was shifted with us, and that our Constitution had the gunnel under water.

From Project Gutenberg

A fisherman stood in the bow and pulled the line up from the bottom over a lignumvitæ roller fixed in the bow-gunnel.

From Project Gutenberg

Now hard-a-port still—for we've the Gunnel Dogs somewhere there to leeward, and they're worse almost than Hell-deeps.'

From Project Gutenberg

North of the Gunnel here there's an eddy slack where the tides meet, and you may count on thirty fathoms.'

From Project Gutenberg

She is 50 feet long, 12 feet wide—the gunnels and gunnel plank are oak, and the rest of her poplar.

From Project Gutenberg