keel over
/ˈkiːl ˈəʊvə(ɹ)/
"keel-over" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“keel over” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of a vessel: to roll so far on its side that it cannot recover; to capsize or turn turtle.
Corpus desk
Index EN-keel-over · keel over · English
keel over · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 9 letters
- VOW-4 4 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "K" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | keel over |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ˈkiːl ˈəʊvə(ɹ)/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “keel over” in English
Rare enough to double-check
keel over is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈkiːl ˈəʊvə(ɹ)/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
Zero misspellings are on record for keel over in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: 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. The correct English form is keel over, spelled K-E-E-L- -O-V-E-R.
Definition
- 1Of a vessel: to roll so far on its side that it cannot recover; to capsize or turn turtle.
- 2To collapse in a faint; to black out, to swoon.
- 3To die.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how keel over appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
What a tiny little schooner! But is it not bold to spread both sails? And see, now that we have come round to the wind, how the skiff keels over.
[H]is bandaged cry was, to beach him on the whale's topmost back. Nothing loath, his bowsman hauled him up and up, through a blinding foam that blent two whitenesses together; till of a sudden the boat struck as against a sunken ledge, and keeling over, spilled out the standing mate.
Etymology
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.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.