bottomry

noun

bot·tom·ry

ˈbä-təm-rē

: a contract under which the owner of a ship pledges the ship as collateral for a loan to finance a journey

money lent on bottomry for…equipping the vessel—

Louisiana Civil Code

compare respondentia

Word History

Etymology

alteration of earlier bottomary, modification of Dutch bodemerij, from bodem bottom, hull, ship

Cite this Entry

Style

“Bottomry.” Merriam-Webster.com Legal Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/legal/bottomry. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.

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