This week’s theme
Words having nautical origins

This week’s words
trimmer
bilge
nauseate
keel

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(keel)

MEANING:

noun:	1. The beam along the length of the base of a ship or boat on which the frame is built.
	2. A fin-like structure on the bottom of a hull, improving stability.
verb tr., intr.:	To capsize, collapse, or fall.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Old Norse kjölr. Earliest documented use 1532. See also keelhaul.

NOTES:

The keel is the bottom-most (bottomest!) part of a boat or ship. So, if it’s up, well, things are not looking good. This led to the idiom “to keel over” (often dramatically, like a sailor who’s had one too many). But if things are on “an even keel”, congratulations! You’re sailing smoothly.

USAGE:

“A grain of the opioid fell to the floor. He concentrated on trying to pick it up, then lost track, as his body went limp. His shoulders slumped and he slowly keeled forward.”
Rachel Uranga; Plenty of Empty Seats on the Train; Los Angeles Times; Mar 15, 2023.

See more usage examples of keel in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: