Meanings
plural Plimsoll lines
- nauticalProperly the International Load Line, a mark on the hull of a merchant ship to show the waterline under specified conditions. The line shows the maximum capacity load the ship may carry.
Synonyms: load line, load water line, Plimsoll mark
Synonyms & antonyms
nounProperly the International Load Line, a mark on the hull of a merchant ship to show the waterline under specified conditions. The line shows the maximum capacity load the ship may carry.
More synonyms by meaning
nounwaterlines to show the level the water should reach when the ship is properly loaded
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From Samuel Plimsoll, Bristol merchant and member of Parliament; promoter of the Merchant Shipping Act.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 吃水線 /吃水线
- 吃水線 /吃水线 (chīshuǐxiàn)International Load Line
Finnish lastimerkki, Plimsollin merkki
- lastimerkkiInternational Load Line
- Plimsollin merkkiInternational Load Line
- Plimsollin lastimerkkiInternational Load Line
German Plimsoll-Marke
- Plimsoll-MarkeInternational Load Line
Hebrew קַו טְעִינָה
- קַו טְעִינָהInternational Load Line
Norwegian Bokmål lastelinjemerke
- lastelinjemerkeInternational Load Line
Polish linia Plimsolla
- linia PlimsollaInternational Load Line
Swedish lastmärke, plimsollmärke
- lastmärkeInternational Load Line
- plimsollmärkeInternational Load Line
Cite this entry
Plimsoll line. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Plimsoll%20line
“Plimsoll line.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Plimsoll%20line. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Plimsoll line,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Plimsoll%20line.
Source: Plimsoll line on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.