Engineering:Keelson

The keelson or kelson is a reinforcing structural member on top of the keel in the hull of a vessel. Originally used on wooden ships, in modern usage a keelson is any structural member used to strengthen the hull or to support any heavy weight.

In part V of "Song of Myself", American poet Walt Whitman (1819–1892) 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.

References

• "keelson". Dictionary.com. http://www.dictionary.com/browse/keelson. 
• Cutler, Deborah W. and Thomas J. Cutler (2005). Dictionary of Naval Terms. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland. ISBN 978-1-59114-150-1.