1) Nautical terminology 2) Sailboat component 
A bulb keel is a keel, usually made with a high aspect ratio foil, that contains a ballast-filled bulb at the bottom, usually teardrop shaped. The purpose of the bulb keel is to place the ballast as low as possible, therefore gaining the maximum possible amount of leverage and thus the most righting moment. An example of a class of boats that use ...
a narrow keel having a swelling weight of lead or iron at the bottom.