wale

¹ American  

[weyl] / weɪl /

noun

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

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

3. the texture or weave of a fabric.

4. Nautical.

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

   2. gunwale.

5. Also called breast timber,.  Also called 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.

6. a ridge on the outside of a horse collar.

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verb (used with object)

waled, waling

1. to mark with wales.

2. to weave with wales.

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

wale ² American  

[weyl] / weɪl /

noun

1. something that is selected as the best; choice.

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verb (used with object)

waled, waling

1. to choose; select.

wale ¹ British  

/ weɪl /

noun

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

2. 1. the weave or texture of a fabric, such as the ribs in corduroy

   2. a vertical row of stitches in knitting Compare course

3. nautical

   1. a ridge of planking along the rail of a ship

   2. See gunwale

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verb

1. to raise a wale or wales on by striking

2. to weave with a wale

wale ² British  

/ weɪl /

noun

1. a choice

2. anything chosen as the best

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adjective

1. choice

verb

1. (tr) to choose

Etymology

Origin of wale¹

First recorded before 1050; Middle English; Old English walu “ridge, rib, welt”; cognate with Old Norse vǫlr, Gothic walus “rod, wand”; see wheal;

Origin of wale²

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English noun wal(e), from Old Norse val “choice,”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wale waled waling

The fugues, meanwhile, weave something more like the wale of a domestic fabric.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 8, 2022

So there will be swimming, swinging, climbing, leaping and harpooning from tall, bent-steel pipes that form the ship and ribs of the great white wale.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 17, 2016

The rapper then launched into a not-suitable-for-work rant against a former magazine editor who tweeted, “if i’m trump i’m pushing the narrative that obama really put wale on his playlist in an effort to undermine his administration.”

From Washington Post ● Aug. 11, 2016

Resoled in Saratoga, riveting in a wide wale suit, I use law, Ed.

From Time ● Apr. 4, 2015

When the bow is covered, tuck the end of the weaver through the wale and under the second row and clip the end, leaving it just long enough to stay in place.

From Construction Work for Rural and Elementary Schools by Virginia McGaw

The enervating softness was at work on Peter's head, too, and from time to time, as he waled, he wiped his nose on his sleeve.

From The House with the Green Shutters by George Douglas Brown

“At our lang wars, in fair Scotland,I fain ha’e wish’d to be,If fifteen hundred waled wight menYou’ll grant to ride with me.”

From A Collection of Ballads by Andrew Lang

‘I might have been proclaimed on the crown of the causey,’ says Rutherford, ‘but He has so waled my cross and His vengeance that I am suffering not for my sin but for His name.’

From Samuel Rutherford and some of his correspondents by Alexander Whyte

You 've waled out anither Your bridegroom to be; But can his heart luve sae As mine luvit thee?

From The Modern Scottish Minstrel, Volume III The Songs of Scotland of the Past Half Century by Charles Rogers

But just as I was growin’ vext He waled a maist judeecious text, An’, launchin’ into his prelections, Swoopt, wi’ a skirl, on a’ defections.

From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 14 (of 25) by Robert Louis Stevenson

Through sobbing and waling, he said he was sorry and couldn’t believe it had happened.

From Washington Times ● Apr. 18, 2015

Forced crying and waling is a big thing is North Korea.

From The Verge ● Dec. 28, 2014

White Sox starter John Danks lasted six innings, giving up one run on three hits while waling four and striking out three.

From Chicago Tribune ● Apr. 17, 2014

“It was all so beautiful,” she said, waling past the headquarter’s once grand entrance.

From New York Times ● Nov. 21, 2012

First, when a pile is some distance below the bottom waling, which should be fixed as low as possible, a lot must be taken for granted, and it cannot be controlled much.

From Scamping Tricks and Odd Knowledge Occasionally Practised upon Public Works by John Henry Newman