The ratio of a vessel's underwater volume to the volume of a cuboid having the same length as the vessel and the same cross-section as its maximum underwater cross-section.
Origin
Late 19th century.
Definition of prismatic coefficient in US English:
prismatic coefficient
noun
Shipbuilding
The ratio of a vessel's underwater volume to the volume of a cuboid having the same length as the vessel and the same cross-section as its maximum underwater cross-section.