wale

wale  (wl)

n.

1. A mark raised on the skin, as by a whip; a weal or welt.

2.

a. One of the parallel ribs or ridges in the surface of a fabric such as corduroy.

b. The texture or weave of such a fabric: a wide wale.

3. Nautical

a. A gunwale.

b. One of the heavy planks or strakes extending along the sides of a wooden ship.

tr.v. waled, wal·ing, wales

To raise marks on (the skin), as by whipping.

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[Middle English, from Old English, variant of walu; see wel-² in Indo-European roots.]

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wale¹

n

1. (Medicine / Pathology) the raised mark left on the skin after the stroke of a rod or whip

2.

a.  (Clothing, Personal Arts & Crafts / Textiles) the weave or texture of a fabric, such as the ribs in corduroy

b.  (Clothing, Personal Arts & Crafts / Knitting & Sewing) a vertical row of stitches in knitting Compare course [14]

3. (Transport / Nautical Terms) Nautical

a.  a ridge of planking along the rail of a ship

b.  See gunwale

vb (tr)

1. to raise a wale or wales on by striking

2. (Clothing, Personal Arts & Crafts / Textiles) to weave with a wale

[Old English walu weal¹; related to Old Norse vala knuckle, Dutch wäle]

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wale² Scot and northern English dialect

n

1. a choice

2. anything chosen as the best

adj

choice

vb

(tr) to choose

[from Old Norse val choice, related to German Wahl]

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Wale a selection, or that chosen as the best.

Example: wale of pleasures, 1887.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	wale - a raised mark on the skin (as produced by the blow of a whip); characteristic of many allergic reactions weal, welt, wheal harm, hurt, injury, trauma - any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.
	2.	wale - thick plank forming a ridge along the side of a wooden ship strake garboard, garboard plank, garboard strake - the first wale laid next to the keel of a wooden ship gun rest, gunnel, gunwale - wale at the top of the side of boat; topmost planking of a wooden vessel vessel, watercraft - a craft designed for water transportation plank, board - a stout length of sawn timber; made in a wide variety of sizes and used for many purposes