waterline

/ˈwɔː.tə.laɪn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈwɑː.t̬ɚ.laɪn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈwȯ-tər-ˌlīn ˈwä-/ (ame, mw)

waterline — 名詞

1. The line on a ship's or boat's side where the surface of the water meets the hul

1.名詞B2
釋義

吃水線

船身與水面接觸的水平線

The line on a ship's or boat's side where the surface of the water meets the hull. This line moves up or down depending on how much weight the vessel is carrying.

例句

Nikhil watched the ferry's waterline rise as more passengers stepped on board.

Nikhil 看著渡輪的吃水線隨著更多乘客上船而升高。

waterline + verb of movement (rise, fall, sit)

Divers inspected the hull below the waterline for cracks after the storm.

潛水員在暴風雨後檢查吃水線以下的船體是否有裂縫。

below the waterline

同義詞
  • water level

    Broader term usable for rivers, tanks, or any body of water; less specific to ships

  • load line

    Refers specifically to the painted regulatory marking on a ship, not the actual water contact line

  • Plimsoll line

    A type of load line named after Samuel Plimsoll; formal and technical, less common in everyday speech

文法句型

the waterline + of + noun

above/below the waterline

用法筆記

Often used with prepositions above, below, or at to describe position relative to the water's surface. The phrase 'below the waterline' is also used figuratively to mean hidden from public view.

常見錯誤

❌The ship's watermark rose after loading cargo.
✅The ship's waterline rose after loading cargo.
💡A watermark is a mark showing a past water level, not the current line where water meets a vessel.
❌The draft is the line where water meets the hull.
✅The waterline is the line where water meets the hull; the draft is the vertical depth below that line.
💡Draft and waterline are related but distinct concepts.

2. The highest point that water from a sea, river, or lake reaches on the shore, ba

2.名詞B2
釋義

水位線

海水或河水在陸地留下的最高痕跡

The highest point that water from a sea, river, or lake reaches on the shore, bank, or land. This level can change with tides, rainfall, or seasonal flooding.

例句

Romi spotted an old waterline high on the cliff from a flood years ago.

Romi 在懸崖高處看見一條古老的水位線，是多年前洪水留下的。

old waterline — mark left by past water level

After the typhoon, the waterline along the riverbank had climbed more than two metres.

颱風過後，河岸的水位線爬升了兩公尺以上。

同義詞
  • shoreline

    Describes the boundary where land meets water as a fixed geographical feature, not the variable water level

  • water level

    More general term usable for any body of water; less specific to the land interface

  • high-water mark

    Emphasises the highest point reached, often as a visible stain or debris line

文法句型

the waterline + of + [sea/river/lake]

waterline + verb + [preposition]

用法筆記

Frequently used with verbs that describe change, such as rise, climb, fall, move, or recede. Geographers and environmental scientists use this term to track coastal erosion and flooding patterns.

常見錯誤

❌The shoreline rose after the storm.
✅The waterline rose after the storm.
💡Shoreline refers to the fixed boundary line of the land itself, whereas waterline refers to the moving level of water on that land.

3. A pipe that carries water as part of a supply system, usually to buildings or th

3.名詞B2
釋義

供水管

建築物或公共系統的供水管道

A pipe that carries water as part of a supply system, usually to buildings or through a city. Damage to a waterline often causes leaks or flooding.

例句

Harper called the plumber after a burst waterline flooded the kitchen floor.

Harper 在供水管爆裂、廚房淹水後打電話叫了水電工。

burst waterline

The city replaced the old iron waterline with a wider plastic pipe.

市政府將老舊的鐵製供水管更換為較寬的塑膠管。

同義詞
  • water pipe

    More general term for any pipe that carries water; less specific to supply systems

  • water main

    Refers specifically to the main underground pipe in a public supply system, not a branch pipe to a building

  • supply line

    Broader term that can carry water, gas, or other utilities; less specific

文法句型

a waterline

the waterline + [verb of damage/repair]

burst/broken waterline

用法筆記

Common in construction, plumbing, and municipal infrastructure contexts. In British English, this is often called a water main when it refers to the main supply pipe in a street.

常見錯誤

❌A burst waterline spilled oil across the road.
✅A burst waterline spilled water across the road.
💡A waterline carries water by definition, not other liquids.

4. A painted mark on a ship's exterior showing the correct depth at which the water

4.名詞C1
釋義

水線標記

船體上標示安全載重深度的油漆線

A painted mark on a ship's exterior showing the correct depth at which the water should reach the hull under normal loading conditions. It serves as a visual guide for safe loading.

例句

The shipyard workers repainted the waterline on the hull during the annual maintenance.

造船廠工人在年度檢修期間重新漆上船體的水線標記。

repainted the waterline

Emre explained that the waterline markings show whether a ship is carrying too much weight.

Emre 解釋說，水線標記可以顯示船舶是否超載。

同義詞
  • load line

    More formal term used in international shipping regulations; often interchangeable with waterline in sense 4

  • Plimsoll line

    A specific type of load line named after Samuel Plimsoll; required by law on most commercial vessels

  • draft mark

    A numerical marking near the waterline that shows the vessel's current draft in metres or feet

文法句型

the waterline markings

repaint the waterline

waterline on the hull

用法筆記

This is a technical sense used mainly in shipbuilding and maritime safety. It is closely related to the Plimsoll line (load line) but waterline here refers to the painted mark itself, not the regulatory certification. Distinguish from sense 1, which describes the actual physical water level on the hull rather than the painted guide.

常見錯誤

❌The ship's waterline sank after loading cargo.
✅The ship's waterline marking stayed the same, but the actual water level on the hull rose.
💡The painted waterline does not move; it is a fixed mark.