Plimsoll line; load line
Maritime term for the marking on a ship's hull indicating the maximum safe loading depth. Also called Plimsoll mark.
The Plimsoll line painted on the hull serves as a guide to prevent overloading.
Standard kanji spelling for the Plimsoll line; 喫水 is the usual form for 'draft' (of a ship).
Variant using 吃水, an older or less common kanji for 'draft'; 喫水 is preferred in modern usage.
Formed from 載貨 “carrying cargo,” 喫水 “a ship’s draft,” and 線 “line,” denoting the line marking the permitted loaded draft.