gunwale

G2U1N1W4A1L1E1
/ˈɡʌnəl/

noun

The top edge of the hull of a nautical vessel, at or above where the hull meets the deck.

“Holonyms: vessel, watercraft”

Similar
gunnelgun rest
OriginMiddle English gonnewalle →
UncommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

noungunwale (plural gunwales)

plural gunwales · alternative gunnel

  1. The top edge of the hull of a nautical vessel, at or above where the hull meets the deck.

    Holonyms: vessel, watercraft

Synonyms & antonyms

nounwale at the top of the side of boat; topmost planking of a wooden vessel

Similar
gunnelgun rest
Broader
walestrake
Also see
gunnel

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishgonnewalle
  2. Englishgunwale

From Middle English gonnewalle, itself from gonne (“gun”) + wale, as it used to support the ship's guns; equivalent to gun + wale.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian планшир
  • планшир (planšir)top edge of the side of a boat
Catalan borda
  • bordatop edge of the side of a boat
Chinese Mandarin 舷邊 /舷边, 舷
  • 舷邊 /舷边 (xiánbiān)top edge of the side of a boat
  • 舷 (xián)top edge of the side of a boat
Dutch dolboord
  • dolboordtop edge of the side of a boat
Finnish reelinki
  • reelinkitop edge of the side of a boat
French plat-bord
  • plat-bordtop edge of the side of a boat
German Dollbord
  • Dollbordtop edge of the side of a boat
Irish gar-adhmaid, gunail
  • gar-adhmaidtop edge of the side of a boat
  • gunailtop edge of the side of a boat
  • slat bhoirdtop edge of the side of a boat
Italian falchetta
  • falchettatop edge of the side of a boat
Japanese ガンネル, 舷
  • ガンネル (ganneru)top edge of the side of a boat
  • 舷 (funaberi)top edge of the side of a boat
Māori niao, kāpuku
  • niaotop edge of the side of a boat
  • kāpukutop edge of the side of a boat
Norwegian Bokmål ripe, båtripe
  • ripetop edge of the side of a boat
  • båtripetop edge of the side of a boat
  • esingtop edge of the side of a boat
Polish górna krawędź nadburcia
  • górna krawędź nadburciatop edge of the side of a boat
Portuguese aposturas, amurada
  • aposturastop edge of the side of a boat
  • amuradatop edge of the side of a boat
Russian планши́р, планши́рь
  • планши́р (planšír)top edge of the side of a boat
  • планши́рь (planšírʹ)top edge of the side of a boat
Spanish borda
  • bordatop edge of the side of a boat
Swedish reling
  • relingtop edge of the side of a boat
Thai แคม
  • แคม (kɛɛm)top edge of the side of a boat
Welsh gynwal, gynwalc
  • gynwaltop edge of the side of a boat
  • gynwalctop edge of the side of a boat

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with gunwale

tunnelfrontalfunnelgunnelChunnelrunneltreenail
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

“gunwale.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gunwale. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gunwale,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gunwale.

Source: gunwale on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.