Kec"kle (?), v. i. & n. See Keck, v. i. & n.
Kec"kle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Keckled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Keckling
(?).] (Naut.) To wind old rope around, as a cable, to preserve its
surface from being fretted, or to wind iron chains around, to defend
from the friction of a rocky bottom, or from the ice. Totten.
Kec"kling (?), n. Old rope or iron chains wound around a cable. See
Keckle, v. t.
Kec"klish (?), a. [From keck, keckle.] Inclined to vomit; squeamish.
[R.] Holland.
Keck"sy (?), n.; pl. Kecksies (-sz). [Properly pl. of kex. See Kex.]
(Bot.) The hollow stalk of an umbelliferous plant, such as the cow
parsnip or the hemlock. [Written also kex, and in pl., kecks, kaxes.]
Nothing teems But hateful docks, rough thistles, kecksies, burs.
Shak.
Keck"y (?), a. Resembling a kecksy. Grew.
Kedge (kj), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Kedged (kjd); p. pr. & vb. n. Kedging.]
[Cf. dial. Sw. keka to tug, to drag one's self slowly forward; or perh.
fr. ked, and kedge, n., for keg anchor, named from the keg or cask
fastened to the anchor to show where it lies.] (Naut.) To move (a
vessel) by carrying out a kedge in a boat, dropping it overboard, and
hauling the vessel up to it.
Kedge, n. [See Kedge, v. t.] (Naut.) A small anchor used whenever a
large one can be dispensed with. See Kedge, v. t., and Anchor, n.
Kedg"er (?) n. (Naut.) A small anchor; a kedge.
Ked"lock (kd"lk), n. [Cf. dial. G. köddik, küdik, kettich, keek, Dan.
kidike, E. charlock, and AS. cedelc the herb mercury.] (Bot.) See
Charlock.
Kee (k), n. pl. of Cow. [AS. c, pl. of c cow. See Kine.] See Kie, Ky,
and Kine. [Prov. Eng.] Gay.
Keech (kch), n. [Cf. Prov. E. keech a cake.] A mass or lump of fat
rolled up by the butcher. [Obs.] Shak.
Keel (kl), v. t. & i. [AS. clan to cool, fr. cl cool. See Cool.] To
cool; to skim or stir. [Obs.]
While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.
Shak.
Keel, n. A brewer's cooling vat; a keelfat.
Keel, n. [Cf. AS. ceól ship; akin to D. & G. kiel keel, OHG. chiol
ship, Icel. kjll, and perh. to Gr. gay^los a round-built Phœnician
merchant vessel, gaylo`s bucket; cf. Skr. gla ball, round water vessel.
But the meaning of the English word seems to come from Icel. kjölr
keel, akin to Sw. köl, Dan. kjöl.] 1. (Shipbuilding) A longitudinal
timber, or series of timbers scarfed together, extending from stem to
stern along the bottom of a vessel. It is the principal timber of the
vessel, and, by means of the ribs attached on each side, supports the
vessel's frame. In an iron vessel, a combination of plates supplies the
place of the keel of a wooden ship. See Illust. of Keelson.