Parliamentary heel
See also: parliamentary heel
English
Etymology
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Noun
Parliamentary heel (plural Parliamentary heels)
- (nautical, historical) A maintenance manoeuvre for sailing vessels during the Age of Sail — similar to careening — during which weight (such as ballast, guns or crew) is shifted to one side of the vessel to make it heel; thereby providing relatively quick access to the underside of the vessel for cleaning or repair at low expense.
- Alternative form: parliamentary heel
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see parliamentary, heel.