Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
Related Searches
on Ask.com
Nearby Entries
keelhaul - 3 dictionary results

keel⋅haul

  [keel-hawl]
Use keelhaul in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
1. Nautical. to haul (an offender) under the bottom of a ship and up on the other side as a punishment.
2. to rebuke severely.
Also, keel⋅hale  [keel-heyl] .
Also called keel⋅drag  [keel-drag] , keel⋅rake  [keel-reyk] .

Origin:
1660–70; < D kielhalen. See keel 1 , haul
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To keelhaul
keel·haul   (kēl'hôl')   
tr.v.   keel·hauled, keel·haul·ing, keel·hauls
  1. Nautical To discipline by dragging under the keel of a ship.
  2. To rebuke harshly.

[Alteration (influenced by keel1 and haul) of Dutch kielhalen : kiel, keel of a ship (from Middle Dutch) + halen, to haul (from Middle Dutch); see kelə-2 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Keelhaul

Keel"haul`\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Keelhauled; p. pr. & vb. n. Keelhauling.] [3d keel + haul: cf. LG. & D. kielhalen, G. kielholen. ] [Written also keelhale.] (Naut.) To haul under the keel of a ship, by ropes attached to the yardarms on each side. It was formerly practiced as a punishment in the Dutch and English navies. --Totten.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see keelhaul on Thesaurus | Reference