English
keel over
Keel over comes from English keel ‘a large beam along the underside of the…’.
- English1500–presentkeel‘a large beam along the underside of the vessel’s hull from bow to stern’
- Englishearliest quotation 1834keel over
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- English1500–presentkeel‘a large beam along the underside of the vessel’s hull from bow to stern’
- Englishearliest quotation 1834keel over
Earliest quotation: 1834, David Crockett, Philadelphia: “The enemy had planted a piece of ordinance within…”
The story
The original nautical meaning (sense 1) refers to a vessel rolling to the extent that its keel (‘a large beam along the underside of the vessel’s hull from bow to stern’) is visible.
Every English word from English keel
Today it means
verb Of a vessel: to roll so far on its side that it cannot recover; to capsize or turn turtle.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / English keel / keel over