keelhaul
[ keel-hawl ]
verb (used with object)
Nautical. to haul (an offender) under the bottom of a ship and up on the other side as a punishment.
to rebuke severely.
Origin of keelhaul
1- Also called keel·drag [keel-drag], /ˈkilˌdræg/, keel·rake [keel-reyk]. /ˈkilˌreɪk/.
- Also keel·hale [keel-heyl]. /ˈkil heɪl/.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for keelhaul
keelhaul
/ (ˈkiːlˌhɔːl) /
verb(tr)
to drag (a person) by a rope from one side of a vessel to the other through the water under the keel
to rebuke harshly
Origin of keelhaul
1C17: from Dutch kielhalen; see keel 1, haul
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
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