See Also: wale(medicine)
in-wale(dictionary)
wale(1)(dictionary)
wale(2)(dictionary)

wale(1) (iou)



wale noun1 & verb1.
[Late Old English walu = Low German wale weal, Old Norse vala knuckle. Cf. WEAL noun2, verb.]
A. noun.
A ridge of earth or stone. Only in LOE.
= WEAL noun2 1. LOE.
Nautical.
a. = GUNWALE. ME.
b. Any of the broad thick timbers forming the outer sides of a ship. Usu. in pl. ME.
A ridge or raised line of threads in a woven fabric; the texture of a fabric with such lines. L16.
Each of the horizontal timbers between the piles of a dam etc. Also wale-piece. M17.
A ridge on a horse's collar. L18.
Basket-making. Any of the horizontal bands round the body of a basket of intertwined rods. E20.
Comb.: wale-knot = WALL-KNOT; wale-piece: see sense 5 above.
b. verb trans.
= WEAL verb 2. LME.
a. Military. Weave (a gabion etc.). M19.
b. Basket-making. Intertwine (rods) to make a wale; provide with a wale or wales. M19.
waling noun (a) the action of the verb; (b) (any of) the wales used to brace a dam etc.; (c) Nautical the timbers forming the wale of a boat; (d) Basket-making the wales of a basket: M19.