What does Gunwale mean?
Definitions for Gunwale
ˈgʌn lgun·wale
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word Gunwale.
Princeton's WordNet
gunwale, gunnel, gun restnoun
wale at the top of the side of boat; topmost planking of a wooden vessel
Wiktionary
gunwalenoun
The top edge of the hull of a nautical vessel, where it meets the deck.
Etymology: From gonnewalle, itself from gonne 'gun' + wale, as it used to support the ship's guns
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
Gunwale or Gunnel of a Ship
That piece of timber which reaches on either side of the ship from the half-deck to the forecastle, being the uppermost bend which finisheth the upper works of the hull in that part, and wherein they put the stanchions which support the waste trees; and this is called the gunwale, whether there be guns in the ship or no; and the lower part of any port, where any ordnance are, is also termed the gunwale. John Harris
Gunwale or Gunnel of a Ship
That piece of timber which reaches on either side of the ship from the half-deck to the forecastle, being the uppermost bend which finisheth the upper works of the hull in that part, and wherein they put the stanchions which support the waste trees; and this is called the gunwale, whether there be guns in the ship or no; and the lower part of any port, where any ordnance are, is also termed the gunwale. John Harris
Wikipedia
Gunwale
The gunwale () is the top edge of the hull of a ship or boat.Originally the structure was the "gun wale" on a sailing warship, a horizontal reinforcing band added at and above the level of a gun deck to offset the stresses created by firing artillery. Over time it remained as a valuable stiffener mounted inboard of the sheer strake on commercial and recreational craft. In modern boats, it is the top edge of the hull where there is usually some form of stiffening, often in the form of traditional wooden boat construction members called the "inwale" and "outwale". On a canoe, the gunwale is typically the widened edge at the top of its hull, reinforced with wood, plastic or aluminum, to carry the thwarts. On a narrowboat or canal boat, the gunwale is synonymous with the side deck—a narrow ledge running the full length of the craft.
ChatGPT
gunwale
The gunwale is the upper edge or top side of the side of a boat or ship; traditionally it is where guns would be mounted.
Webster Dictionary
Gunwalenoun
the upper edge of a vessel's or boat's side; the uppermost wale of a ship (not including the bulwarks); or that piece of timber which reaches on either side from the quarter-deck to the forecastle, being the uppermost bend, which finishes the upper works of the hull
Etymology: [Gun + wale. So named because the upper guns were pointed from it.]
Wikidata
Gunwale
The gunwale is the top edge of the side of a boat. Originally the gunwale was the "gun ridge" on a sailing warship. This represented the strengthening wale or structural band added to the design of the ship, at and above the level of a gun deck. It was designed to accommodate the stresses imposed by the use of artillery. In wooden boats, the gunwale remained, mounted inboard of the sheer strake, regardless of the use of gunnery. In modern boats, it is the top edge of the side where there is usually some form of stiffening. On a canoe, the gunwale is typically the widened edge at the top of the side of the boat, where the edge is reinforced with wood, plastic or aluminum and to which the thwarts are attached. Modern cedar-strip canoes have gunwales which consist of an inner and outer parts called "inwales" and "outwales". These two parts of the gunwale give rigidity and strength to the hull. The inwale will often have "scuppers" or slots cut into the inwale to allow water to drain when the canoe hull is turned upside down for storing. On a rowing boat, the gunwale is sometimes referred to as the saxboard. On a narrowboat or canal boat, the gunwale is synonymous with the side deck - a narrow ledge running the full length of the sides of the boat allowing a person to walk along the side of the cabin, generally with the aid of a handrail mounted on the roof.
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Gunwale
Gunnel, gun′el, n. the wale or upper edge of a ship's side next to the bulwarks, so called because the upper guns are pointed from it.
Dictionary of Nautical Terms
gunwale
Nearly synonymous with plank-sheer (which see); but its strict application is that horizontal plank which covers the heads of the timbers between the main and fore drifts. The gunwale of a boat is a piece of timber going round the upper sheer-strake as a binder for its top-work.--Gunwale-to. Vessels heeling over, so that the gunwale is even with the water. When a boat sails with a free wind, and rolls each side, or gunwale, to the water's edge, she rolls gunwale-to.
Matched Categories
Usage in printed sourcesFrom:
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Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of Gunwale in Chaldean Numerology is: 2
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of Gunwale in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2
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"Gunwale." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 19 Feb. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/Gunwale>.
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