Plimsoll Line
Preserved but no longer current.
Also seen as: Plimsoll Mark
A circle with a hori- zontal line drawn through it, carried on both sides of all British merchant vessels. It in- dicates the maximum depth to which a vessel may be loaded and is named after Samuel Phmsoll (1824-98), M.P. for Derby, who brought about its compulsory adoption m view of the great loss of life at sea owing to overloaded vessels.
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 “Plimsoll Line” mean?
A circle with a hori- zontal line drawn through it, carried on both sides of all British merchant vessels. It in- dicates the maximum depth to which a vessel may be loaded and is named after Samuel Phmsoll (1824-98), M.P. for Derby, who brought about its compulsory adoption m view of the great loss of life at sea owing to overloaded vessels.
Is “Plimsoll Line” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.