I. ˈwāl, esp before pause or consonant -āəl noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English walu; akin to Old Norse valr round, Latin vola hollow of the hand or foot, palm, sole, volvere to roll — more at voluble
1.
a. : a streak or ridge made on the skin especially by the stroke of a whip : weal , welt
b. : a narrow raised surface : ridge
plowing the stubble into wales — John Masefield
2.
a. : one of a number of strakes usually made of extra thick and strong planks in the sides of a wooden ship : bend III 2b — usually used in plural; see main wales
b. obsolete : gunwale
3.
a.
(1) : one of a series of even ribs in the warp or weft of a fabric or sometimes on the diagonal
(2) : a lengthwise row of loops in a knitted fabric — compare course
b. : the texture especially of a fabric
4. or whale ˈ(h)w- : a horizontal constructional member made of a strong material (as timber or steel) and used for bracing vertical members (as the sheeting of a trench)
5. : one of the two ridges on the outside of a horse collar between which the hame lies
6. : a course of weaving in basketmaking consisting of three or four rods worked alternately one after and over the other to form a binding
a firmly woven wale round the base is necessary to keep a good shape — Katherine S. Woods
— see basket illustration
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
1. : to mark (as the skin) with welts
2.
a. : to wattle (as the web of a gabion) especially with more than two rods at once
b. : to furnish (as a basket) with wales
3. : to fasten or brace with a constructional wale
III. noun
Etymology: Middle English (Scots & northern dialect) wale, wal, from Old Norse val choice; akin to Old High German wala choice, wellen to choose, Old Norse velja, Gothic waljan to choose, wiljan to wish — more at will
1. dialect Britain : the act of choosing : opportunity for choosing : choice
2. dialect Britain : the best one, ones, part, or kind : pick
scones, the wale o' food — Robert Burns
IV. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English (Scots & northern dialect) walen, from wale, wal choice
dialect Britain : choose