bilge keel

noun

a strake, or small keel or blister, running along much of the length of the hull. It is used to reduce the hull's tendency to roll. They are typically fitted one on each side, low down on the side of the hull, so as not to increase the draft of the vessel. In battleships they were often quite large and used as part of the torpedo protection system.

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Meanings

nounbilge keel (plural bilge keels)

plural bilge keels

  1. nauticala strake, or small keel or blister, running along much of the length of the hull. It is used to reduce the hull's tendency to roll. They are typically fitted one on each side, low down on the side of the hull, so as not to increase the draft of the vessel. In battleships they were often quite large and used as part of the torpedo protection system.
Cite this entry
APA

bilge keel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bilge%20keel

MLA

“bilge keel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bilge%20keel. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bilge keel,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bilge%20keel.

Source: bilge keel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.