gunwale

American  

[guhn-l] / ˈgʌn l /

Or gunnel

noun

Nautical.

1. the upper edge of the side or bulwark of a vessel.

2. the sheer strake of a wooden vessel; the uppermost strake beneath the plank-sheer.

---

gunwale British  

/ ˈɡʌnəl /

noun

1. nautical the top of the side of a boat or the topmost plank of a wooden vessel

2. completely full; full to overflowing

---

Etymology

Origin of gunwale

1325–75; Middle English. See gun ¹, wale ¹; a plank so called because guns were set upon it

Explanation

A gunwale is the very top edge of a boat's side. You might rest your paddle on your canoe's gunwale while you take a break in the middle of a pond. Nearly all boats have a gunwale, from the reinforced strip around the edge of a canoe to a narrow canal boat's wider gunwale that allows people to walk around the center cabin. Originally, this edge was called a "gun ridge," a band strong enough to support the weapons that were used on a war ship. A wale in this context is a "plank," from the Old English walu, "ridge."

Example Sentences

If your fishing or sporting boat has no canopy, consider Tuuci’s Shade Blade, which can be mounted in a chair stanchion or aft gunwale, and stores away in a carry bag.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 26, 2022

At first he thought that the pale, constant glow indicated a submerged ridge, but a weighted line the crew dropped over the gunwale sank for 600 feet without hitting bottom.

From Scientific American • Jul. 23, 2022

Leaping aboard the ship’s gunwale with police nightsticks swinging around him, Bailey began to climb a flimsy ladder.

From Fox News • Mar. 27, 2019

To avoid someone rushing to rescue you, keep some body parts visible above the gunwale.

From New York Times • Jul. 26, 2018

He dipped his hand in the water over the boat’s gunwale, and said, smiling with that softened air upon him which was not new to me:—

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens