Highwale

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The uppermost plank or strake along the side of a boat or ship, running just below the gunwale or rail
2. A heavy band of planking forming the top edge of a vessel's side, often used as a protective rubbing strip
3. The top line of planking on a ship's hull, set along the side where the vessel meets its rail

Etymology: The thick planks that run along a ship's side are called wales, and the name comes from the same Germanic root as "weal," the raised welt a blow leaves on the skin. Both describe a raised ridge. A wale stands proud of the planking around it, which is why these bands show as distinct lines along the hull. This term is a compound of "high" and "wale," naming the uppermost of these bands, the one that sits just below the rail. Like many English nautical terms, it was built from ordinary words rather than borrowed, so its meaning follows directly from its parts.