marline

Middle English, from Middle Low German marling, from Middle Dutch marlijn (“cord”), from marlen (“secure, fasten”), frequentative of maren (“to moor”), from Proto-Germanic *mairōną (“to moor, fasten to”), from Proto-Indo-European *mer-.

marline (plural marlines)

1. A light cord or rope used to bind the end of a larger rope, to prevent fraying.
   • 1749 (Sunday 26th May), John Newton's journal

     A young man, who has been the whole voyage out of irons, first on account of a large ulcer, and since for his seeming good behaviour, gave them a large marline spike down the gratings, but was happily seen by one of the people.

2. Twine used similarly.

• marlinspike

marline (third-person singular simple present marlines, present participle marlining, simple past and past participle marlined)

1. (nautical) To wind marline around.

   Synonym: marl

   to marline a rope

• Lierman, manlier, mineral, railmen, ramline