caravel (kăr´əvĕl´) or carvel (kär´vəl), three-masted sailing vessel, generally square-rigged with the aftermast lateen-rigged. It had a roundish hull with a high bow and stern. The term "carvel-built" (see boat) was derived from its method of construction. A change from bulkier ships to caravels, with their small displacement, enabled the Portuguese in the 15th cent. to take the lead among Western nations in exploring the African coast; the caravel thereafter was of primary importance in the era of expansion and exploration. Columbus's flagship, the Santa María, was a typical caravel.

caravel •clamshell • eggshell • seashell •cockleshell • bombshell •tortoiseshell • razorshell • Oftel •caravel • Maxwell • Cherwell •stairwell • Bakewell • speedwell •inkwell • Sitwell • wishing well •bridewell • Sizewell • Rockwell •Cromwell • Bothwell •Boswell, Roswell •Orwell • Caldwell • groundswell •ne'er-do-well

carvel: see caravel.