I. keel 1 /kiːl/ BrE AmE noun
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old Norse ; Origin: kjölr ]
1 . on an even keel steady, without any sudden changes
keep something/get something back on an even keel
Now that the crisis is over, we must try to get things back on an even keel.
2 . [countable] a bar along the bottom of a boat that keeps it steady in the water
II. keel 2 BrE AmE verb
keel over phrasal verb
to fall over sideways:
Several soldiers keeled over in the hot sun.