Emily Dickinson Lexicon

KAZ'ARD-LY, a.

Unlucky; liable to accident. – N. of Eng.

KECK, n.

A reaching or heaving of the stomach. – Cheyne.

KECK, v.i. [G. köken.]

To heave the stomach; to reach, as in an effort to vomit. [Little used.] – Bacon. Swift.

KECK'LE, v.t. [Qu. G. kugeln, to roll.]

To wind old rope round a cable to preserve its surface from being fretted, or to wind iron chains round a cable to defend it from the friction of a rocky bottom, or from the ice. – Mar. Dict.

KECK'SY, n. [Qu. Fr. cigue, L. cicuta. It is said to be commonly pronounced kex.]

Hemlock; a hollow jointed plant. [Not used in America.] – Shak.

KECK'Y, a.

1. Resembling a kex.
2. An Indian scepter. – Grew.

KEDGE, or KEDG'Y, a.

Brisk; lively. [Local.]

KEDGE, n. [allied probably to cog and keg.]

A small anchor, used to keep a ship steady when riding in a harbor or river, and particularly at the turn of the tide, to keep her clear of her bower anchor, also to remove her from one part of a harbor to another, being carried out in a boat and let go, as in warping or kedging. [Sometimes written kedger.] – Mar. Dict.

KEDGE, v.t.

To warp, as a ship; to move by means of a kedge, as in a river.

KEDG'ED, pp.

Moved by means of a kedge.

KEDG'ING, ppr.

Moving by means of a kedge.

KED'LACK, n.

A weed that grows among wheat and rye; charlock. [I believe not used in America.] – Tusser. Johnson.

KEE, [plur. of Cow. Local in England and not used in America.]

– Gay.

KEECH, n.

A mass or lump. [Not in use.] – Percy.

KEEL, n. [Sax. cæle; G. and D. kiel; Dan. kiil, kiol; Russ. kil; Sw. köl; Fr. quille; Sp. quilla; Port. quilha. The word, in different languages, signifies a keel, a pin, kayle, and a quill; probably from extending.]

1. The principal timber in a ship, extending from stem to stern at the bottom, and supporting the whole frame. – Mar. Dict.
2. A low flat-bottomed vessel, used in the river Tyne, to convey coals from Newcastle for loading the colliers.
3. In botany, the lower petal of a papilionaceous corol, inclosing the stamens and pistil. – Martyn. False keel, a strong thick piece of timber, bolted to the bottom of the keel, to preserve it from injury. On an even keel, in a level or horizontal position.

KEEL, v.t.¹ [Sax. cælan.]

To cool. [Obs.] – Gower.

KEEL, v.t.²

1. To plow with a keel; to navigate. – J. Barlow.
2. To turn up the keel; to show the bottom. – Shak. To keel the pot, in Ireland, to scum it. – Shak.

KEEL'AGE, n.

Duty paid for a ship entering Hartlepool, England.

KEEL'ED, a.

In botany, carinated; having a longitudinal prominence on the back; as, a keeled leaf, calyx or nectary. – Martyn.

KEEL'ER, or KEEL'MAN, n.

One who manages barges and vessels.

KEEL'ER, n.

A shallow tub. – Ray.

KEEL'FAT, n. [Sax. cælan, to cool, and fat, vat.]

A cooler; a vessel in which liquor is set for cooling. [Not used.]

KEEL'HAUL, v.t. [D. kielhaalen; keel and haul.]

To haul under the keel of a ship. Keelhauling is a punishment inflicted in the Dutch navy for certain offenses. The offender is suspended by a rope from one yard arm, with weights on his legs, and a rope fastened to him, leading under the ship's bottom to the opposite yard arm, and being let fall into the water, he is drawn under the ship's bottom and raised on the other side. – Mar. Dict.

KEEL'HAULING, n.

The act or practice of punishing a culprit by drawing him under the ship.

KEEL'HAUL-ING, ppr.

Inflicting punishment by drawing under a ship.