spring linen.
/ˈsprɪŋ lʌɪn/, U.S. /ˈsprɪŋ ˌlaɪn/ 1. Nautical. A hawser laid out diagonally aft from a boat’s bow or forward from a boat’s stern and secured to a fixed point in order to prevent movement or assist manoeuvring. Cf. spring n.1 28b.
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society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > equipment of vessel > ropes or chains other than rigging or cable > [noun] > for securing vessel > diagonal
spring1769
spring line1801
1801 R. W. Adye Little Bombardier, & Pocket Gunner 43 The spring lines are then lashed diagonally from one boat to the other, to brace them tight.
1885 N.Z. Herald 31 Oct. 7/2 The steamer's hands cast off the spring line too soon.
1919 Lect. Mod. Seamanship (U.S. Naval Inst.) viii. 139 The forward spring line prevents the vessel from surging astern.
1975 H. White Raincoast Chron. (1976) 156/1 A deck-hand expertly heaves a throwing-line ashore. Somebody catches it, pulls in the steel spring-line from amidships.
2007 Yachting July 34/1 If the wind has pinned you against the pier, or boats are tightly packed ahead or astern, a spring line will get you away in style.
2. A geological line where the water table reaches the surface of the land and along which springs (spring n.1 1a) are numerous.
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the world > the earth > land > land mass > shore or bank > land near river > [noun] > where water table surfaces
spring line1870
1870 C. A. White Rep. Geol. Surv. State Iowa II. ii. i. 282 That portion of the hill above the level of the spring line, contains a large portion of sand.
1916 Water-supply Paper (U.S. Geol. Surv.) No. 375. 97 On the east side of the upper valley there is no spring line comparable to that on the west side.
1932 Geol. Mag. 69 407 West of the spring line, thin outcrops of hard ferrugineous sandstone occur in the clays.
1999 Oxoniensia 63 220 It is in an ideal location on the spring line at the foot of the chalk scarp.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2017; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1801