load line
noun
: the line on a ship indicating the depth to which it sinks in the water when properly loaded see plimsoll mark illustration
Examples of load line in a Sentence
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The Coast Guard in the immediate years after the Fitzgerald sank rescinded a 1973 amendment to Great Lakes bulk carrier load lines that was allowing the ships to carry more cargo in their holds, with the effect of riding lower in the water.
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Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 2 Nov. 2025
Two workers, 39 and 40, in Palm Beach County were using a crane to install concrete wall panels when the crane’s load line made contact with energized overhead power lines.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024
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Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 2 Nov. 2025
Two workers, 39 and 40, in Palm Beach County were using a crane to install concrete wall panels when the crane’s load line made contact with energized overhead power lines.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Load line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/load%20line. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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