The keelson or kelson is a reinforcing structural member on top of the keel in the hull of a vessel.[1] Originally used on wooden ships, in modern usage a kellson is any structural member used to strengthen the hull or support any heavy weight.[2]
In part V of “Song of Myself”, American poet Walt Whitman uses the phrase: “And that a kelson of the creation is love;” to imply that love is akin to a keelson, or backbone, that supports humanity.
Citations
edit- ^ "keelson". Dictionary.com.
- ^ Cutler and Cutler, p 126
References
edit- "keelson". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 2016-05-07.
- Cutler, Deborah W. and Thomas J. Cutler (2005). Dictionary of Naval Terms. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland. ISBN 978-1-59114-150-1.