keel

[ keel ]

See synonyms for keel on Thesaurus.com

noun

Nautical. a central fore-and-aft structural member in the bottom of a hull, extending from the stem to the sternpost and having the floors or frames attached to it, usually at right angles: sometimes projecting from the bottom of the hull to provide stability.
Literary. a ship or boat.

a part corresponding to a ship's keel in some other structure, as in a dirigible balloon.
Keel, Astronomy. the constellation Carina.
Botany, Zoology. a longitudinal ridge, as on a leaf or bone; a carina.
Also called brace molding. Architecture. a projecting molding the profile of which consists of two ogees symmetrically disposed about an arris or fillet.

verb (used with or without object)

to turn or upset so as to bring the wrong side or part uppermost.

Verb Phrases

keel over,
- to capsize or overturn.
- to fall as in a faint: Several cadets keeled over from the heat during the parade.

Idioms about keel

on an even keel, in a state of balance; steady; steadily: The affairs of state are seldom on an even keel for long.

Origin of keel

First recorded in 1325–75; 1895–1900 for def. 8; Middle English kele, from Old Norse kjǫlr; cognate with Old English cēol “keel, ship”; see keel²

Other words from keel

keeled, adjective

Words Nearby keel

Other definitions for keel (2 of 4)

keel²

[ keel ]

nounBritish Dialect.

keelboat.
the amount of coal carried by one keelboat.

a measure of coal equivalent to 21 long tons and 4 hundredweight (21.5 metric tons).

Origin of keel

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English kele, from Middle Dutch kiel “ship”; cognate with Old English cēol “ship,” German kiel “ship” (obsolete); see keel¹

Other definitions for keel (3 of 4)

keel³

[ keel ]

verb (used with object)British Dialect.

to cool, especially by stirring.

Origin of keel

First recorded before 900; Middle English kelen, Old English cēlan “to be cool”; akin to cool

Other definitions for keel (4 of 4)

keel⁴

[ keel ]

noun

a red ocher stain used for marking sheep, lumber, etc.; ruddle.

Origin of keel

⁴

First recorded in 1475–85; earlier keyle (north and Scots dialect); compare Scots Gaelic cìl (itself perhaps from English )

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use keel in a sentence

The curragh has no keel, and a sneeze is rightly believed to be fatal to its equilibrium, but an old Aran woman and an Aran gander can rush in where Sir Isaac Newton might fear to tread.
The Irish Islands on the Edge of the World | Malcolm Jones | November 23, 2022 | The Daily Beast
You have to understand and bounce back from those challenges and stay pretty even keel by using your energy to have resilience.
Sonos CEO Patrick Spence Sounds Off About Big Tech Behaving Badly | Joann S. Lublin | July 24, 2022 | Time
Melfi is the even keel to Tony’s volatility — a thoughtful, occasionally horrified audience surrogate.
Pandemic TV hero Lorraine Bracco on why ‘The Sopranos’ was a quarantine hit and that house in Sicily she bought for a buck | Jessica M. Goldstein | April 23, 2021 | Washington Post
They sense that their ship of state is no longer on an even keel.
New Hope for Mideast Peace | Martin Indyk | July 7, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
But, as the keel of the boats touched bottom, each boat-load dashed into the water and then into the enemy's fire.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I | Ian Hamilton

Robert was out there under the shed, reclining in the shade against the sloping keel of the overturned boat.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories | Kate Chopin
To maintain the vessel on an even keel he introduced four vanes, called “hydroplanes,” for regulating the depth of descent.
The Wonder Book of Knowledge | Various
The tip often forms an abrupt angle with the shaft and there is a keel on the dorsal surface of the tip (see figs. 5, 6).
Genera and Subgenera of Chipmunks | John A. White
Microscopic examination reveals that there is a faint keel on the dorsal surface of the tip.
Genera and Subgenera of Chipmunks | John A. White

British Dictionary definitions for keel (1 of 5)

keel¹

/ (kiːl) /

noun

one of the main longitudinal structural members of a vessel to which the frames are fastened and that may extend into the water to provide lateral stability
on an even keel well-balanced; steady

any structure corresponding to or resembling the keel of a ship, such as the central member along the bottom of an aircraft fuselage
biology a ridgelike part; carina
a poetic word for ship

verb

to capsize

Origin of keel

C14: from Old Norse kjölr; related to Middle Dutch kiel, keel ²

See also keel over

Derived forms of keel

keel-less, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for keel (2 of 5)

keel²

/ (kiːl) /

nounEastern British dialect

a flat-bottomed vessel, esp one used for carrying coal
a measure of coal equal to about 21 tons

Origin of keel

C14 kele, from Middle Dutch kiel; compare Old English cēol ship

British Dictionary definitions for keel (3 of 5)

keel³

/ (kiːl) /

noun

red ochre stain used for marking sheep, timber, etc

verb(tr)

to mark with this stain

Origin of keel

Old English cēlan, from cōl cool

British Dictionary definitions for keel (4 of 5)

keel⁴

/ (kiːl) /

verb

an archaic word for cool

Origin of keel

⁴

C15: probably from Scottish Gaelic cīl

British Dictionary definitions for keel (5 of 5)

keel⁵

/ (kiːl) /

noun

a fatal disease of young ducks, characterized by intestinal bleeding caused by Salmonella bacteria

Origin of keel

⁵

C19: from keel 1; see keel over

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with keel

keel

In addition to the idiom beginning with keel

keel over

also see:

on an even keel

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