Defn: A piece of timber in a ship laid on the middle of the floor timbers over the keel, and binding the floor timbers to the keel; in iron vessels, a structure of plates, situated like the keelson of a timber ship. Cross keelson, a similar structure lying athwart the main keelson, to support the engines and boilers.
KEELVAT
Keel"vat`, n.
Defn: See Keelfat.
KEEN
Keen, a. [Compar. Keener; superl. Keenest.] Etym: [OE. kene sharp,
bold, AS.c bold; akin to D. koen, OHG. kuoni, G. kühn, OSw. kyn, kön,
Icel. kænn, for koenn wise; perh. akin to E. ken, can to be able.
1. Sharp; having a fine edge or point; as, a keen razor, or a razor
with a keen edge.
A bow he bare and arwes [arrows] bright and kene. Chaucer.
That my keen knife see not the wound it makes. Shak.
2. Acute of mind; sharp; penetrating; having or expressing mental acuteness; as, a man of keen understanding; a keen look; keen features. To make our wits more keen. Shak. Before the keen inquiry of her thought. Cowper.
3. Bitter; piercing; acrimonious; cutting; stinging; severe; as, keen satire or sarcasm. Good father cardinal, cry thou amen To my keen curses. Shak.
4. Piercing; penetrating; cutting; sharp; — applied to cold, wind, etc, ; as, a keen wind; the cold is very keen. Breasts the keen air, and carols as he goes. Goldsmith.
5. Eager; vehement; fierce; as, a keen appetite. "Of full kene will." Piers Plowman. So keen and greedy to confound a man. Shak.
Note: Keen is often used in the composition of words, most of which are of obvious signification; as, keen-edged, keen-eyed, keen- sighted, keen-witted, etc.