HomeServicesBlogDictionariesContactSpanish Course
← Back to search

Meaning of Wale | Babel Free

Noun CEFR B1
ˈweɪl

Definitions

  1. Something selected as being the best, preference; choice.
    Northern-England, Scotland
  2. A ridge or low barrier.
  3. A surname.
  4. A raised rib in knitted goods or fabric, especially corduroy.
  5. The texture of a piece of fabric.
  6. A horizontal ridge or ledge on the outside planking of a wooden ship. (See gunwale, chainwale)
  7. A horizontal timber used for supporting or retaining earth.
  8. A timber bolted to a row of piles to secure them together and in position.
  9. A ridge on the outside of a horse collar.
  10. A ridge or streak produced on skin by a cane or whip.

Equivalents

العربية علامة
Català bordo
Čeština jizva
Suomi kohoraita
Français côté côteler walé
Gaeilge fústa
한국어 짜임
Polski dęga pręga

Examples

“Most twills are continuous—the wale goes from one corner to the one diagonally opposite. Pattern, however, can be achieved by periodically changing the direction of the wales.”
“I have woven a small sample of striped corduroy shown here. […] The stripe draws the eye from side to side while the wales draw the eye up and down.”
“The fabric may be further described according to the number of wales per inch: Corduroy known as fine wale, pin-wale, or needle wale has very thin wales (usually twelve or more per inch, i.e., the width of a pin), while wide wale corduroy has thicker wales (usually six or fewer per inch).”
“Crepon cloths, with their heavy crape-like wale, are a noteworthy part of the season's importations.”
“The strakes between the several ranges of ports, beginning from under the upper-deck ports of a three-decked ship in the royal navy, are called the channel wale, the middle wale, and the main wale.”
“A few feet below the first wale another timber is inserted, likewise secured by struts.”
“Except Plank upon the Head of the Key, and under the upper Wale, and Plank to join the piles.”
“The wale is shaped to the size of the horse's neck, and then sewn together, with a flap, known as the 'barge', left free along one side. To this 'barge' the body of the collar is sewn.”
“Shall then that foule infamous Cyneds hide Laugh at the purple wales of others side?”
“When the rat had looked at the toad's whole body, and not seen any wale of a stick, he said to the toad, "Brother toad, I have looked at thy whole body, and not seen any wale of a stick: thou art right."”
“I ran to her, and when I reached her I saw across the white skin of her shoulders the distinct wale of a whip.”

CEFR level

B1
Intermediate
This word is part of the CEFR B1 vocabulary — intermediate level.
See all B1 English words →

See also

Learn this word in context

See Wale used in real conversations inside our free language course.

Start Free Course

Know this word better than we do? Language is a living thing — help us keep it growing. Collaborate with Babel Free