Also spelled gunnel
Minimal pairs
noun
Freq #187353
Meanings
-
1
noun
the upper edge of the side of a boat or ship
A wave broke over the gunwale and flooded the bottom of the dinghy.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From Middle English gonne-wale, formed from gonne ("gun") + wale (a strengthening ridge or plank). The rail formerly supported a ship's guns. Despite its spelling, the word is normally pronounced like gunnel, which is also an accepted variant spelling.