Nautical term referring to the upper edge of a boat's side. Often used in compound words like 舷側 (げんそく, ship's side) or 舷門 (げんもん, gangway).
I sat on the gunwale of the boat and looked out at the sea.
There were marks of a collision on the ship's side.
port side; left side of a vessel
ship's side; broadside
both sides of a ship; port and starboard
freeboard
Standard kanji spelling for the nautical term 'gunwale' or 'side of a boat'.
Kana spelling is acceptable, especially in contexts where the kanji may be unfamiliar.
The kanji 舷 is composed of 舟 (boat) and 玄 (deep, profound), suggesting the deep or important edge of a boat. The reading げん is the on'yomi (Sino-Japanese reading).