## Meanings
1. a ridge on a textured surface, such as fabric or skin, often raised or swollen
2. a mark or ridge on the skin caused by a blow or pressure
3. a plank or strip of wood on the side of a ship, providing structural support

## Examples
- The wale of the corduroy fabric was distinct and pronounced.
- He had a wale on his arm from where he was hit.
- The ship's wale was reinforced to withstand rough seas.

## Synonyms
- welt
- ridge
- stripe
- cord
- line
- bruise
- scar
- mark
- weal
- strake
- plank
- board

## Etymology
From Old English walu (a ridge or mark left by a blow); modern English wale denotes a raised ridge on fabric or skin, or a reinforcing plank on a ship's side.

## AI Etymology
Wale comes from Old English walu (a ridge or mark left by a blow); modern English wale denotes a raised ridge on fabric or skin, or a reinforcing plank on a ship's side. In current use it is a noun meaning "a ridge on a textured surface, such as fabric or skin, often raised or swollen". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The history is mainly one of transmission into English, with the older form and sense carried through borrowing or adaptation. For dictionary purposes, the important point is the continuity between the older form, the route into English, and the present lexical sense.

## Topics
- Materials & Substances

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