water line

or wa·ter·line

[ waw-ter lahyn, ]

/ ˈwɔ tər ˌlaɪn, /

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noun

Nautical. the part of the outside of a ship's hull that is just at the water level.

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.Compare load line, Plimsoll line.

the line in which water at its surface borders upon a floating body.

water level (def. 2).

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.

a pipe, hose, tube, or other line for conveying water.

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.

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Origin of water line

First recorded in 1615–25

How to use water line in a sentence

Meanwhile, the rest of hull is wide at the waterline and slopes inward.
Can the Navy's $12 Billion Stealth Destroyer Stay Afloat?|Dave Majumdar|October 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His last novel, Waterline was the story of a one-time shipbuilder in the Glasgow yards, now broken by loss.
Granta’s List of Best British Novelists Today|Lucy Scholes|April 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He located a nest of duck-dogs, those shy waterline fishers living in cliff holes.
Star Born|Andre Norton
One man said the ship had been struck above the waterline and would float.
Tom Slade with the Colors|Percy K. Fitzhugh

Probably no damage was being done there because the acid was on the surface and did not touch the areas below the waterline.
The Lost Warship|Robert Moore Williams
A few hours later we were getting in our cargo, and soon the Jenny was loaded almost to the waterline with smalls.
Dry Fish and Wet|Anthon Bernhard Elias Nilsen
You see, the cut is from below, and it is only two or three inches above the waterline.
The Queen's Cup|G. A. Henty

British Dictionary definitions for water line

water line

noun

a line marked at the level around a vessel's hull to which the vessel will be immersed when afloat

a line marking the level reached by a body of water

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