gunwale

noun

gun·​wale ˈgə-nᵊl How to pronounce gunwale (audio)
variants or less commonly gunnel
: the upper edge of a ship's or boat's side
Phrases
to the gunwales
: as fully as possible
The doorbell rang, and Flanagan let in his wife, who was loaded to the gunwales with groceries.Whitney Balliett

Examples of gunwale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Marigolds line the gunwale of the boat with a pink and blue Sugar Skull painted on the stern. Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register, 15 Aug. 2024 The boatman circled cautiously, then winced when Wilson, the jujitsu champion, suddenly launched an aerial drone and banged on the boat’s gunwale to get the animals’ attention. Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 June 2024 But when Navarro calls to check in just hours later, Julia answers the phone in the same place her sister found her last week — sitting on the gunwale of a barge stuck in the ice. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2024 Boating spectators gripped one another’s gunwales to hold position against the southerly breeze. Ben McGrath, The New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2023 See all Example Sentences for gunwale 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gunwale.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English gonne-wale, from gonne gun + wale entry 1; from its former use as a support for guns

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gunwale was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near gunwale

Cite this Entry

“Gunwale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gunwale. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

gunwale

noun
gun·​wale
variants also gunnel
: the upper edge of a ship's side

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