wale

WALE, n.

1. In cloth, a ridge or streak rising above the rest. We say, cloth is wove with a wale.

2. A streak or stripe; the mark of a rod or whip on animal flesh.

Wales of a ship, an assemblage of strong planks, extending along a ships sides throughout the whole length, at different heights, and serving to strengthen the decks and form the curves. They are distinguished into the main wale and the channel wale.