Arrumage

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of packing and arranging cargo in the hold of a ship so that it is stored safely and evenly
2. The arrangement of goods inside a vessel's hold, carried out to keep the load balanced and secure during a voyage
3. Stowing freight within a ship's storage space in an orderly way so that it can be carried without shifting or damage

Etymology: Arrumage is a shipping term for the stowing of cargo in a ship's hold, and it may be better known as the root of "rummage." The English word that means searching through a jumble of things came from the older nautical sense. When customs officers searched a ship's cargo, they were rummaging through the arrumage. The term comes from French "arrimage," the stowing of goods aboard a vessel, from "arrimer," to stow. English took it as part of the working vocabulary of seafaring. Its meaning stayed close to the hold, where a careful stowage kept a ship balanced and its cargo safe.

Synonyms: stowage, stowing, packing, loading

Antonyms: unloading, discharge