Related Words

Keel: The centerline of a ship running from fore to aft. Think of it as the spine, or backbone of a ship.

Cribellum: A sievelike, transverse plate, usually divided by a delicate keel into two equal parts, located in front of the spinnerets of many spiders: the modified anterior median spinnerets.

Pelorus: An instrument formerly used on a vessel in connection with a current line and current pole to obtain the set of the current. In its simplest form, it was a disk about 8 inches in diameter an . . . View Full Definition

Hit Em Where They Aint: Rallying cry for batters through the decades since 1897, when Wee Willie Keeler hit .432. Asked how a man of his size could put together such an average, Keeler responded: ‘Simple. I keep my . . . View Full Definition

Dry Dock: A sealed docking facility from which water is pumped enabling maintenance and repairs to be performed on a ship's hull and keel. Don't worry - you'll never be onboard when a ship is in dry dock!

Draft: The measurement in feet from the waterline to the lowest point of a ship's keel. Typically, a cruise ship has a draft of about 25 feet.