keel
1[ keel ]
/ kil /
noun
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.
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Idioms for 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
1First 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, adjectiveDefinition for keel (2 of 4)
keel2
[ keel ]
/ kil /
noun British Dialect.
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
2First 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
Definition for keel (3 of 4)
keel3
[ keel ]
/ kil /
verb (used with object) British Dialect.
to cool, especially by stirring.
Origin of keel
3Definition for keel (4 of 4)
Origin of keel
4First 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. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for keel
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
See also keel over
Derived forms of keel
keel-less, adjectiveWord Origin for keel
C14: from Old Norse kjölr; related to Middle Dutch kiel, keel ²
British Dictionary definitions for keel (2 of 5)
keel2
/ (kiːl) /
noun Eastern British dialect
a flat-bottomed vessel, esp one used for carrying coal
a measure of coal equal to about 21 tons
Word Origin for 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
Word Origin for keel
Old English cēlan, from cōl cool
British Dictionary definitions for keel (4 of 5)
Word Origin for keel
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
Word Origin for keel
C19: from keel 1; see keel over
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Idioms and Phrases with keel
keel
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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