a streak or mark made on the skin by a rod or whip; a stripe; a wheal.  see wheal.-a ridge or streak rising above the surface, as of cloth; hence, the texture of cloth.-a timber bolted to a row of piles to secure them together and in position.-certain sets or strakes of the outside planking of a vessel; as, the main wales, or the strakes of planking under the port sills of the gun deck; channel wales, or those along the spar deck, etc.-a wale knot, or wall knot.-to mark with wales, or stripes.-to choose; to select; specifically (mining), to pick out the refuse of (coal) by hand, in order to clean it.