load line

noun

Nautical.

1. Also called Plimsoll line. any of various lines marked on the sides of a cargo vessel to indicate the depth to which a vessel may be immersed under certain conditions.

2. the line made by the surface of the water on the hull of a loaded ship.

load line

noun

1. nautical a pattern of lines painted on the hull of a ship, approximately midway between the bow and the stern, indicating the various levels that the waterline should reach if the ship is properly loaded under given circumstances

Word History and Origins

Origin of load line¹

First recorded in 1880–85