Forms: 4 kevile, kyvile, 7– kevel, 9 cavel, -il. [a. ONF. keville (Godef., Compl.) = Central F. cheville pin, peg, CHEVILLE.
The Fr. form chevil is given in sense 1 by Harris, Lex. Techn. (1704), whence in Phillips (1706), Bailey, etc., but there is no independent evidence for it.]
† 1. A pin or hasp for fastening anything; a tile-pin. (Perh. not English.) Obs.
1251. Liberate Roll 35 Hen. III., 2 July (P.R.O.). Per paviari capellam nostram et in eadem kiuellos ferri ad cathenas ad claudendum fenestras vitreas fieri. [Cf. Turner, Dom. Archit. 13th C. (1851), v. 230 Iron kevils with chains to shut the glass windows.]
1303–40. in Rogers, Agric. & Prices (1866), I. 490. [Tiles were fastened, as now, by pins … These pins are also called] ‘keuills’ [printed ‘kenills’], [a name found in Southampton, Westshene, Isleworth, and London].
2. Naut. A peg or cleat, usually fixed in pairs, to which certain ropes are belayed (see quot. 1769).
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 12062. Bowlyne on bouspret to sette & hale Cordes, kyuiles [v.r. keuiles], atached þe [v.r. to] wale.
a. 1642. Sir W. Monson, Naval Tracts, III. (1703), 345/2. The Kevels are to belay the Sheets.
1704. J. Harris, Lex. Techn., Chevils or Kevils, are small Pieces of Timber nailed to the inside of a Ship to belay or fasten the Sheets and Tacks.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1789), Kevels,… a frame composed of two pieces of timber, whose lower ends rest in a sort of step or foot, nailed to the ship’s side, from whence the upper ends branch outward into arms or horns, serving to belay the … ropes by which the bottoms of the main-sail and fore-sail are extended.
1840. Marryat, Poor Jack, xxvii. The bight … he belayed … to the main-sheet kevel.
c. 1860. H. Stuart, Seaman’s Catech., 73. What are ‘cavils?’
Timber heads, or small bollards for belaying important ropes to, such as the main tack.
b. Comb., as kevel-head, kevel-headed adj.
1815. Burney, Falconer’s Marine Dict., Kevel-Heads, the ends of the top timbers, which, rising above the gun-wale, serve to belay the ropes, or take a round turn to hold on.
c. 1850. Rudim. Navig. (Weale), 98. Blocks for the … lifts … are kevel-headed blocks.
