Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In pathology, a bluish mark at the edge of the gums occurring in eases of lead-poisoning.
  • noun The line attached to a sounding-lead, used in measuring the depth of water. See lead, 2.
  • noun A heavy leaded or weighted line attached to the bottom of a net, as a seine, and used to sink it.
  • noun In lumbering, a wire rope, with an eye at each end, used to anchor the snatch-block in setting a lead.

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word lead-line.

Examples

  • The man at the helm and the man with the lead-line fell backwards into the boat.

    The Mysterious Island 2005

  • And the sailor sounded with a long cord, which served him as a lead-line, and to which was fastened a lump of iron.

    The Mysterious Island 2005

  • It could now be seen that one of the convicts held a lead-line in his hand, and that he wished to fathom the depth of the channel hollowed out by the current of the

    The Mysterious Island 2005

  • And the sailor sounded with a long cord, which served him as a lead-line, and to which was fastened a lump of iron.

    The Mysterious Island 2005

  • It could now be seen that one of the convicts held a lead-line in his hand, and that he wished to fathom the depth of the channel hollowed out by the current of the

    The Mysterious Island 2005

  • The man at the helm and the man with the lead-line fell backwards into the boat.

    The Mysterious Island 2005

  • Cape of Good Hope, we could get no bottom with our lead-line of thirty-five fathoms.

    A Popular Account of Dr. Livingstone's Expedition to the Zambesi and Its Tributaries 2004

  • The gulf has become a lake, but it is also an abyss, and no lead-line has yet sounded its depths.

    In Search of the Castaways 2003

  • Wilson seized the lead-line, sprang to the fore-chains, and threw the lead; the rope ran out between his fingers, at the third knot the lead stopped.

    In Search of the Castaways 2003

  • Taking the lead-line, he headed straight for the broken wall.

    The Bloody Crown of Conan Howard, Robert E. 2003

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.