KEELHAUL


Meaning of KEELHAUL in English

/ ˈkiːlhɔːl; NAmE / verb [ vn ]

1.

( old use ) to punish a sailor by pulling him under a ship, from one side to the other or from one end to the other

2.

( humorous ) to punish sb very severely or speak very angrily to sb

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WORD ORIGIN

mid 17th cent.: from Dutch kielhalen .

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.