load line

American  

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.

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load line British  

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

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Etymology

Origin of load line

First recorded in 1880–85