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Glite Dictionary
orlop deck

orlop deck

1 9.9
The lowest deck in a ship used for storing supplies and ropes
  • noun
  • /ˈɔrləp dɛk/
  • Archaic
translation icon : cubierta orlop
  • Deep in the ship, on the bleak and damp orlop deck, Artus could hear the chanty belted out by the sailors.

Examples

  • During the storm, the crew secured important supplies in the orlop deck to prevent them from being damaged.

  • We are now on the orlop deck.

    Ghosts of the Abyss (2003)

  • No damage above the waterline, sir, but the forepeak is flooded to the orlop deck.

    Titanic (1953)

  • The captain ordered the team to check the supplies stored in the orlop deck before setting sail.

  • They found old ropes and equipment piled up in the orlop deck, ready for storage.

Synonyms

lower deck
vsorlop deck
  • Specialized
6 3.8

The part of a ship below the main floor where crew sleep or store things

is specifically the very lowest level rather than any below the main
orlop
vsorlop deck
  • Archaic
1 9.9

The lowest deck on a ship that holds ropes and cables

is the longer phrase adding the word for the ship level
underdeck
vsorlop deck
  • Specialized
1 5.6

A space below the ship's main deck for people or goods

is the specific lowest level rather than any area simply below the main
fourth deck
vsorlop deck
  • Specialized
7.4

A low floor on a large ship for storing goods or where crew sleep

focuses on its use for storage and housing cables in older ships

How Low

orlop deck
  • Archaic
1 9.9
lower deck
  • Specialized
6 3.8
main deck
  • Specialized
3 5.0
upper deck
9 3.4

Surface Forms

orlop deck singular
orlop decks plural

Morphology

orlop + deck

The element 'orlop' explicitly denotes the lowest storage deck and 'deck' denotes a ship's platform, so the phrase simply labels that specific deck. This is a literal, non-idiomatic composition that a learner who knows both constituents can directly infer.

Etymology

Orlop deck was the name sailors gave to the very lowest deck on old sailing ships, the space below the others where they kept heavy stores and the ship's ropes and cables. Because it sat 'under' the other decks and was used for 'storage', the name now means the lowest deck used for keeping supplies.