The foul, dirty water that collects in the lowest part of a ship's hull, containing oil, rust, waste, and other debris.
Compound word from 'bilge' (the lowest part of a ship's hold, from Middle Dutch 'bulge') and 'water' (Old English 'wæter'). The term specifically names the accumulation problem sailors faced constantly.
Sailors hated bilgewater so much that they created a special celebration called 'Crossing the Line' ceremonies where they'd playfully torture newcomers—partly because the 'old salts' wanted to humiliate the landlubbers who'd never dealt with nasty bilgewater before!
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