wale

¹

[ weyl ]

noun

1. a streak, stripe, or ridge produced on the skin by the stroke of a rod or whip; welt.
2. the vertical rib in knit goods or a chain of loops running lengthwise in knit fabric ( course ).
3. the texture or weave of a fabric.
4. Nautical.
   1. any of certain strakes of thick outside planking on the sides of a wooden ship.
   2. gunwale.
5. 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.
6. a ridge on the outside of a horse collar.

verb (used with object)

, waled, wal·ing.

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

wale

²

[ weyl ]

noun

1. something that is selected as the best; choice.

verb (used with object)

, waled, wal·ing.

1. to choose; select.

wale

¹

/ weɪl /

noun

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

verb

1. to raise a wale or wales on by striking
2. to weave with a wale

wale

²

/ weɪl /

noun

1. a choice
2. anything chosen as the best

adjective

1. choice

verb

1. tr to choose

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,”

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

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