plimsoll

plural plimsolls · alternative plimsol · alternative plimsole

1. IrelandUKA rubber-soled lace-up canvas shoe for sports or onboard ships; a precursor of trainers.

   “Yes, there are two distinct sets of footprints, both wearing rubber shoes—one I think ordinary plimsolls, the other goloshes,” replied the sergeant.

   1928, Lawrence R. Bourne, chapter 13, in Well Tackled!

   1 more example

   While here, now, a large boy, a famous bully, swaggered to the front to bend, leering, and offer his satirical backside to be ineffectually beaten with a plimsoll by the gentle Scot.

   2022, Ian McEwan, Lessons, page 8

2. The plimsoll symbol ⦵ (or o) that is used as a superscript in the notation of thermodynamics to indicate an arbitrarily chosen non-zero reference point.

1. A surname.