marline

or mar·lin, mar·ling

[ mahr-lin ]

/ ˈmɑr lɪn /

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noun Nautical.

small stuff of two-fiber strands, sometimes tarred, laid up left-handed.

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Origin of marline

First recorded in 1375–1425, marline is from the late Middle English word merlin.See marl², line¹

Words nearby marline

Marlborough leg, marled, Marlene, Marley, marlin, marline, marlinespike, marlite, Marlon, Marlovian, Marlowe

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use marline in a sentence

The shot hit—of that both Marline and Paul Pringle were certain, but what damage was done they could not determine.
True Blue|W.H.G. Kingston
Send all the supernumeraries on board the Gazelle, Mr Marline, bag and baggage, will ye?
The Cruise of the Midge (Vol. I of 2)|Michael Scott
The eye may be finished neatly by whipping all around with yarn or marline, and will then appear as in Fig. 90 B.
Knots, Splices and Rope Work|A. Hyatt Verrill
Then divide the strands, taper them down, and whip the whole with yarn or marline (Fig. 94).
Knots, Splices and Rope Work|A. Hyatt Verrill

Each left a hook in the knot of the inner buntline, as he went out, and dropped the ball of marline on deck.
Homeward Bound|James Fenimore Cooper

British Dictionary definitions for marline

marline

marlin less commonly marling (ˈmɑːlɪŋ)

/ (ˈmɑːlɪn) /

noun

nautical a light rope, usually tarred, made of two strands laid left-handed

Word Origin for marline

C15: from Dutch marlijn, from marren to tie + lijn line

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012