keelhaul Hear it!

keelhaul definition

keel·haul (-hôl′)

transitive verb

  1. to haul (a person) down through the water on one side of a ship, under the keel, and up on the other side as a punishment or torture
  2. to scold or rebuke harshly

Etymology: Du kielhalen < kiel < MDu, boat (see keel) + ODu halen, to haul

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.