Orlop Deck
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The lowest deck in an old sailing ship, and so called from the Dutch overloogen, or spread over, because it covered the snip's hold.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Orlop Deck” mean?
The lowest deck in an old sailing ship, and so called from the Dutch overloogen, or spread over, because it covered the snip's hold.
Is “Orlop Deck” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.