wale

[weyl]

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noun

a streak, stripe, or ridge produced on the skin by the stroke of a rod or whip; welt.

the vertical rib in knit goods or a chain of loops running lengthwise in knit fabric (opposed to course).

the texture or weave of a fabric.

Nautical.

any of certain strakes of thick outside planking on the sides of a wooden ship.
gunwale.

Also called breast timber, ranger, waling. Engineering, Building Trades. a horizontal timber or other support for reinforcing various upright members, as sheet piling or concrete form boards, or for retaining earth at the edge of an excavation.

a ridge on the outside of a horse collar.

verb (used with object), waled, wal·ing.

to mark with wales.

to weave with wales.

Engineering, Building Trades. to reinforce or fasten with a wale or wales.

Origin of wale

before 1050; (noun) Middle English; Old English walu ridge, rib, wheal; cognate with Old Norse vǫlr, Gothic walus rod, wand; (v.) late Middle English, derivative of the noun

wale

[weyl]Scot. and North England

noun

something that is selected as the best; choice.

verb (used with object), waled, wal·ing.

to choose; select.

Origin of wale

1250–1300; Middle English wal(e) < Old Norse val choice, velja to choose

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for wale

streak, ridge, weal, texture, mark, welt, strip, grain, rib, weave

Examples from the Web for wale

Historical Examples of wale

Vertical staving was used to carry the wale around the stern.
The Migrations of an American Boat Type
Howard I. Chapelle
Wale put the lid on in case his employer might hear any more of his sentiments.
The King of Diamonds
Louis Tracy
With two weavers of blue and one of natural, weave two rows of Wale.
Practical Basketry
Anna A. Gill
That chap that disna speak is ane o' the wale o' the Ha's: I ken him weel for a' his half visor.
The Three Perils of Man, Vol. 1 (of 3)
James Hogg
Neea whaar sooa far south, Mrs. Wale, ma'am; but ma father was off times down thar cuttin' peat.
J. S. Le Fanu's Ghostly Tales, Volume 3
Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

British Dictionary definitions for wale

wale

noun

the raised mark left on the skin after the stroke of a rod or whip

the weave or texture of a fabric, such as the ribs in corduroy
a vertical row of stitches in knittingCompare course (def. 14)

nautical

a ridge of planking along the rail of a ship
See gunwale

verb (tr)

to raise a wale or wales on by striking

to weave with a wale

Word Origin for wale

Old English walu weal 1; related to Old Norse vala knuckle, Dutch wäle

wale

noun

a choice

anything chosen as the best

adjective

choice

verb

(tr) to choose

Word Origin for wale

C14: from Old Norse val choice, related to German Wahl

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

Word Origin and History for wale

Old English walu "ridge," as of earth or stone, later "ridge made on flesh by a lash" (related to weal (n.2)); from Proto-Germanic *walo (cf. Low German wale "weal," Old Frisian walu "rod," Old Norse völr "round piece of wood," Gothic walus "a staff, stick," Dutch wortel, German wurzel "root"). The common notion perhaps is "raised line." Used in reference to the ridges of textile fabric from 1580s. Wales "horizontal planks which extend along a ship's sides" is attested from late 13c.

wale in Medicine

wale

[wāl]

n.

A mark raised on the skin, as by a whip; a weal or welt.

v.

To raise marks on the skin, as by whipping.