An Ocean Liner Is Named After a Shipping Line
A liner is a large passenger ship. The name comes from the shipping line that ran it to a schedule, not from the ship's shape.
A liner is a large ship carrying passengers on a scheduled route, or a lining for a container. The ship sense comes from *line* in the commercial sense: a liner belonged to a shipping *line* and sailed a fixed route to a timetable, unlike a tramp steamer that took cargo wherever it was offered. The word describes the business model, not the vessel. That is also why an ocean liner differs from a cruise ship: one transports, the other tours.
- A scheduled ship. *A transatlantic liner.*
- A protective lining. *A bin liner.*
- Eyeliner — the cosmetic. *Black eyeliner.*
- Tramp steamer — the unscheduled opposite. *A tramp steamer.*
- Cruise ship — for touring, not transport. *A cruise ship.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | liner | An ocean liner. |
| Plural | liners | Two liners. |
| Compound | bin liner | A bin liner. |
| Compound | eyeliner | Eyeliner. |
| Related | line | A shipping line. |
- The liner sailed from Southampton.Ships.
- Put a liner in the bin.Lining.
- A liner ran to a timetable.The distinction.
Liner and cruise ship
- Liner — built to cross oceans on a schedule, in any weather
- Cruise ship — built for leisure, calling at ports and returning
- Liners have deeper hulls and thicker plating for rough seas
- Cruise ships are wider and taller, optimised for cabins and views
- Queen Mary 2 is the last true ocean liner in service
From *line*, in the sense of a regular commercial route. The ship sense is recorded from the 1830s.
What is the difference between a liner and a cruise ship?
A liner is built for scheduled ocean crossings in any weather; a cruise ship is built for leisure voyages calling at ports.
Why is it called a liner?
Because it belonged to a shipping line and sailed a fixed route to a timetable.