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n. 1. The distance from the water line to the gunwales of an open boat or to the main deck of a decked vessel. 2. The distance between normal water level and the top of a structure or mass that rises out of the water, such as a buoy, dam, or ice floe. [Probably ultimately partial translation of Anglo-Norman franc bord, land claimed outside the fence of a park or forest : franc, free + bord, bort, border; see BORDER.] |
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