Orlop

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A level located below the main deck of a ship used for stowing equipment or supplies is crucial for proper vessel stability and function
2. This underlying deck of a maritime vessel serves as a storage area for cargo, contributing to the overall operation of the ship
3. A designated area situated beneath the principal deck of a ship functions as a storage space for various materials, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the vessel's operations

Etymology: The word "orlop" names the lowest deck of a sailing ship, the one set just above the hold. Its name is a picture of what the deck does: it runs over the hold, so the word joins the idea of "over" to the idea of "leaping" or "running". In Middle English it appeared as "overlop", meaning the deck of a single-decker, a vessel with only one full deck, where the deck formed the roof over the lower spaces. The source for the word lies in Middle Low German "overlop", a term meaning "which leaps overhead", describing a covering laid across a space below. English sailors borrowed the idea and the shape of the name together, and the "over" in the word still points to the deck lying above whatever lies beneath it.