keel

/kiːl/noun
Middle School
1

A large beam along the underside of a ship’s hull from bow to stern.

2

A rigid, flat piece of material anchored to the lowest part of the hull of a ship to give it greater control and stability.

3

In a dirigible, a construction similar in form and use to a ship's keel; in an aeroplane, a fin or fixed surface employed to increase stability and to hold the machine to its course.

4

The rigid bottom part of something else, especially an iceberg.

5

A type of flat-bottomed boat.

6

The periphery of a whorl extended to form a more or less flattened plate; a prominent spiral ridge.

7

The two lowest petals of the corolla of a papilionaceous flower, united and enclosing the stamens and pistil; a carina.

Sound Patterns & Rhymes

Rhymes

Words that share the same ending sound pattern

Alliteration

Words starting with the same consonant sound — used in poetry and prose to create rhythm, emphasis, and memorable phrasing (e.g. “Peter Piper picked”)

Assonance

Words sharing similar vowel sounds regardless of starting letter — creates internal melody in writing

Consonance

Words sharing similar consonant sound patterns — adds texture and cohesion to writing