What does the nautical term list mean?

It means leaning over. ==More specifically== Both list and heel refer to lean or tilt in a boat or ship. The term list is usually used to refer to a tendency of a boat to lean due to some problem of ballast or weight distribution. Heel, on the other hand, is usually used to refer to the leaning of a sailboat as a result of the force of the wind upon its sails. Hope that helps clarify the difference between the two.