a strong piece or
beam of wood or metal center of the bottom of a
ship or boat. The keel is the
main support of a
ship and the whole
frame or
hull is attached to it. Also, a
fin or
flat-shaped piece that is attached lengthwise to the bottom of a sailboat and hangs down into the water. The keel keeps the sailboat upright so it will not
tip over and prevents it from being
blown sideways by the
wind.
literally, the
chief timber or
steel piece along the entire length of the bottom of a
ship or boat; figuratively, anything like a
ship's keel in
position, appearance, etc.
the
chief timber or
steel piece extending along the entire length of the bottom of a boat or
ship and supporting the
frame it sometimes protrudes beneath the
hull.