water line
Americannoun
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Nautical. the part of the outside of a ship's hull that is just at the water level.
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Naval Architecture. any of a series of lines on the hull plans of a vessel representing the level to which the vessel is immersed or the bottom of the keel.
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the line in which water at its surface borders upon a floating body.
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Also called watermark. a line indicating the former level or passage of water.
A water line all around the cellar served as a reminder of the flood.
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a pipe, hose, tube, or other line for conveying water.
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waterline, the slightly wet inner rim of skin between the upper or lower eyelashes and the eye, especially with reference to the use of eyeliner.
Apply pencil eyeliner to your upper and lower waterlines.
noun
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a line marked at the level around a vessel's hull to which the vessel will be immersed when afloat
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a line marking the level reached by a body of water
Etymology
Origin of water line
First recorded in 1615–25
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After concrete unexpectedly blocked the water line, water supply restoration was delayed.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 7, 2025
The same stretch was flagged again in 2019 as needing to have “over 2,000 feet of leak prone, aging, and severely deteriorated” water line replaced at a cost of $2.8 million.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 24, 2025
When all the main generators fail, ships rely on a backup generator that is typically situated above the water line in another area of the ship, with its own fuel source.
From New York Times • Mar. 30, 2024
A January cold snap caused water line breaks in dozens of communities where aging infrastructure could no longer withstand freezing temperatures, including Memphis, Tennessee, and an Arkansas town that had no water for two weeks.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 4, 2024
Zeitoun learned from Todd that because the house’s phone box was above the water line, the landline was still working.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
