What does gunwale mean?
A gunwale is the upper edge of a ship's side, especially the raised timber or rail that forms the rim above the deck. It is encountered in boating, sailing, naval history, and descriptive writing whenever people describe where a passenger stands, climbs aboard, or watches the water. The term is more precise than a general reference to the edge or side of a boat: a gunwale is specifically the uppermost boundary of the hull, and on many small craft it also forms a handhold. Although the word may sound martial, it has a long nautical history. Its name combines an older term for the side of a ship with wale, meaning a raised ridge or strip. Gunwales are therefore structural features of a vessel, not weapons, and the word remains a useful part of maritime vocabulary.
nounThe upper edge of the side of a ship or other boat, especially the rail or raised timber running along that edge.
- The upper edge of a ship's or boat's side, including the rail or raised timber that runs along it.
"She steadied herself against the gunwale as the launch rocked gently."
"He leaned over the gunwale to watch the dolphins follow the boat."
"The guide pointed to seals swimming alongside the vessel's gunwale."
The standard plural adds -s and is used for the upper edges or rails of one or more boats.
"The boat's gunwales gleamed in the morning sunlight."
It sounds armed, but a gunwale is simply the upper rim of a boat—the part you grab on a rough crossing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of gunwale
The word was formed in Middle English from gun, an older nautical term for the side of a ship, and wale, a raised ridge or strip; in shipbuilding, a wale is a longitudinal strengthening plank. The second element continues a Germanic word represented by Old English wala and Old Norse wala, both meaning a ridge or stripe. The compound entered regular English nautical use and now also names the rail-like rim above a boat's deck.
Related word forms
How gunwale is actually used
The term is standard in British and American English but specialized to boating, sailing, shipbuilding, and maritime writing. It may refer either to the upper edge itself or to the rail fitted along it. The final syllable is pronounced with a schwa in many varieties, although an /eɪ/ ending is also heard.
Easily confused with gunwale
A gunwale is a boat's upper edge or rail, whereas a gunnel can be a deep-sea fish or an informal term for a midshipman.