View synonyms for wale

wale

[ weyl ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a streak, stripe, or ridge produced on the skin by the stroke of a rod or whip; welt.
the vertical rib in knit goods or a chain of loops running lengthwise in knit fabric ( course ).
the texture or weave of a fabric.
Nautical.
1. any of certain strakes of thick outside planking on the sides of a wooden ship.
2. gunwale.
Also called breast timber,. Engineering, Building Trades. a horizontal timber or other support for reinforcing various upright members, as sheet piling or concrete form boards, or for retaining earth at the edge of an excavation.
a ridge on the outside of a horse collar.

verb (used with object)

waled, waling.

to mark with wales.
to weave with wales.
Engineering, Building Trades. to reinforce or fasten with a wale or wales.

wale

[ weyl ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

something that is selected as the best; choice.

verb (used with object)

waled, waling.

to choose; select.

wale

/ weɪl /

noun

the raised mark left on the skin after the stroke of a rod or whip
1. the weave or texture of a fabric, such as the ribs in corduroy
2. a vertical row of stitches in knitting Compare course
nautical
1. a ridge of planking along the rail of a ship
2. See gunwale

verb

to raise a wale or wales on by striking
to weave with a wale

wale

/ weɪl /

noun

a choice
anything chosen as the best

adjective

choice

verb

tr to choose

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of wale¹

First recorded before 1050; Middle English; Old English walu “ridge, rib, welt”; cognate with Old Norse vǫlr, Gothic walus “rod, wand”; wheal;

Origin of wale²

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English noun wal(e), from Old Norse val “choice,”

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of wale¹

Old English walu weal ¹; related to Old Norse vala knuckle, Dutch wäle

Origin of wale²

C14: from Old Norse val choice, related to German Wahl

Discover More

Example Sentences

The fugues, meanwhile, weave something more like the wale of a domestic fabric.

From Washington Post

That search of money has been more visible in the U.S. than Europe, though the levels of issuance has been well-below levels seen in the wale of the 2008 financial crisis.

From Reuters

Merchandise Wide wale corduroy, cheetah prints, pearl fringe and purple-dyed denim all share a rack, yet somehow #GANNIGirls all look similar.

From New York Times

So I went to wale on him … And God said, ‘Go ahead,’” he said.

From Fox News

And ‘wale’—while spelled differently than the word for the gargantuan aquatic creature—contributes to my concerns.

From Wall Street Journal