Definition of "gantline" [gant•line]

• Nautical A rope passed through an overhead pulley, as at the top of a mast, that is used for hoisting. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "He had the tail-block slung round his neck, and the end of the gantline over his shoulder."
• "Very soon we had the gantline rigged, and Tom down on deck."
• "Williams 'plans comprised no less than the entire stripping of the ship down to a gantline; the thorough overhauling of her hull, inside and out, including cleaning and scrubbing; and a number of petty alterations in her rigging, which he thought would have the effect of disguising the vessel."