light displacement

A cargo ship sits high in the water at the dock, showing its light displacement.

Definition

Noun: - Maritime term: "light displacement" refers to the weight of a ship when it is fully constructed and equipped but empty of cargo, fuel, passengers, crew, and other variable loads. It represents the ship's own structural weight (hull, machinery, permanent fittings) and is used in naval architecture to calculate load capacity and stability.

Usage Examples

• (The vessel's weight without any added load.)
• (The empty weight versus full weight.)

Advanced Usage

• "light displacement tonnage": the measurement of a ship's weight in tons when empty.
  • The contract specified the light displacement tonnage for the new freighter. (The empty weight measurement.)

Variants and Related Words

• Displacement (n): the weight of water displaced by a floating vessel, equal to the vessel's weight.

  • The ship's displacement increases as cargo is loaded. (The weight of water pushed aside.)

• Loaded displacement (n): the weight of a ship when fully laden with cargo, fuel, and supplies.

  • Loaded displacement is higher than light displacement. (Full weight versus empty weight.)

Synonyms

• Empty weight: the weight of a vessel without cargo or consumables.
• Deadweight (as antonym): the total weight a ship can carry (cargo, fuel, etc.), which is the difference between loaded displacement and light displacement.

Related Idioms

• "Light as a feather": (informal) very light in weight, sometimes used metaphorically for light displacement.
  • The yacht's light displacement makes it fast and agile. (The vessel is very light.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Displace (verb): to take the place of or push aside.
  • The ship displaces water equal to its own weight. (Pushes water aside.)

Note: "light displacement" is a technical nautical term and does not have common phrasal verbs or idioms beyond the above.