line
nounEtymology
From Middle English line, lyne, from Old English līne (“line, cable, rope, hawser, series, row, rule, direction”), from Proto-West Germanic *līnā, from Proto-Germanic *līnǭ (“line, rope, flaxen cord, thread”), from Proto-Germanic *līną (“flax, linen”), from Proto-Indo-European *līno- (“flax”). Influenced in Middle English by Middle French ligne (“line”), from Latin linea. More at linen. The oldest sense of the word is “rope, cord, thread”; from this the senses “path”, “continuous mark” were derived.
Definitions
A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’)
A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight.
- The arrow descended in a curved line.
A rope, cord, string, thread, or cable, of any thickness.
A hose, tube, or pipe, of any size.
- a brake line
- the main water line to the house
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Direction, path.
- the line of sight
- the line of vision
A procession, either physical or conceptual, which results from the application or effect…
A procession, either physical or conceptual, which results from the application or effect of a given rationale or other controlling principles of belief, opinion, practice, or phenomenon.
- In order to maintain a consistency in the defense, I will follow the line established by attorney Jacobs of allowing the prosecution to suggest motives, and then refuting them.
The wire connecting one telegraphic station with another, a telephone or internet cable…
The wire connecting one telegraphic station with another, a telephone or internet cable between two points: a telephone or network connection.
- I tried to make a call, but the line was dead.
- a dedicated line; a shared line
- Please speak up, the line is very faint.
A clothesline.
- We need to take the clothes off the line. The news reported a front is coming in from the east, and we can expect heavy rain and maybe hail.
- She feels guilty for pampering him, and salves her conscience by bossily ordering him to go and fetch the clothes from the line[.]
A short letter, a written form of communication.
- Drop me a line.
- You don't mind giving me a line of introduction to your niece?
A connected series of public conveyances, as a roadbed or railway track
A connected series of public conveyances, as a roadbed or railway track; and hence, an established arrangement for forwarding merchandise, etc.; a railroad line, railway line, Elizabeth Line etc.
- a line of stages
- an express line
A trench or rampart, or the non-physical demarcation of the extent of the territory…
A trench or rampart, or the non-physical demarcation of the extent of the territory occupied by specified forces.
The exterior limit of a figure or territory
The exterior limit of a figure or territory: a boundary, contour, or outline; a demarcation.
- Eden stretch'd her Line / From Auran Eastward to the Royal Towrs / Of great Seleucia,
A long tape or ribbon marked with units for measuring
A long tape or ribbon marked with units for measuring; a tape measure.
A measuring line or cord.
That which was measured by a line, such as a field or any piece of land set apart
That which was measured by a line, such as a field or any piece of land set apart; hence, allotted place of abode.
- The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
A threadlike crease or wrinkle marking the face, hand, or body
A threadlike crease or wrinkle marking the face, hand, or body; hence, a characteristic mark.
Lineament
Lineament; feature; figure (of one's body).
A more-or-less straight sequence of people, objects, etc., either arranged as a queue or…
A more-or-less straight sequence of people, objects, etc., either arranged as a queue or column and often waiting to be processed or dealt with, or arranged abreast of one another in a row (and contrasted with a column), as in a military formation.
- get in line
- The line forms on the right.
- There is a line of houses.
The regular infantry of an army, as distinguished from militia, guards, volunteer corps,…
The regular infantry of an army, as distinguished from militia, guards, volunteer corps, cavalry, artillery, etc.
A series of notes forming a certain part (such as the bass or melody) of a greater work.
- Students and the instructor sing the harmony line while the instructor plays the melody line on the piano.
A series or succession of ancestors or descendants of a given person
A series or succession of ancestors or descendants of a given person; a family or race; compare lineage.
A small amount of text. Specifically
A small amount of text. Specifically:
- The answer to the comprehension question can be found in the third line of the accompanying text.
Course of conduct, thought, occupation, or policy
Course of conduct, thought, occupation, or policy; method of argument; department of industry, trade, or intellectual activity.
- He [Mackintosh] is uncommonly powerful in his own line; but it is not the line of a first-rate man.
- "What you mean, comparing me to them botchers and bunglers? There ain't anybody but me in the furniture restoring line."
The official, stated position (or set of positions) of an individual or group,…
The official, stated position (or set of positions) of an individual or group, particularly a political or religious faction.
- Remember, your answers must match the party line.
Information about or understanding of something. (Mostly restricted to the expressions…
Information about or understanding of something. (Mostly restricted to the expressions get a line on, have a line on, and give a line on.)
- Judy gave me a line on a lawyer who's supposed to be the best in the business.
- She's got the best line on Hickey. Maybe she knows a way to put the heart back into him.
A set of products or services sold by a business, or by extension, the business itself.
- line of business, product line
- How many buses does the line have?
- The airline is in danger of bankruptcy.
A number of shares taken by a jobber.
Any of an ill-defined set of units of length, varying according to the country,…
Any of an ill-defined set of units of length, varying according to the country, discipline, industry, and date of application, commonly with no indication of the intended magnitude
- Withof estimates that the hair of the beard grows one line (French) in the course of a week, let us call it one line and a half (Engish); this would amount to six inches and a half yearly...
Ellipsis of agate line (one fourteenth of an inch).
- Advertising rates, line contract, less than 500 agate lines, 12 cents per line; 1,000 to 2,000 lines, 7 cents; 5,000 to 10,000 lines, 5 cents.
A maxwell, a unit of magnetic flux.
The batter's box.
The position in which the fencers hold their swords.
Proper relative position or adjustment (of parts, not as to design or proportion, but…
Proper relative position or adjustment (of parts, not as to design or proportion, but with reference to smooth working).
- the engine is in line / out of line
A portion or serving of a powdery recreational drug, especially cocaine, formed into a…
A portion or serving of a powdery recreational drug, especially cocaine, formed into a line on a flat surface in preparation for snorting.
- I watched him take a line of cocaine.
Instruction
Instruction; doctrine.
- Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun.
A population of cells derived from a single cell and containing the same genetic makeup.
a set composed of a spike, a drip chamber, a clamp, a Y-injection site, a three-way…
a set composed of a spike, a drip chamber, a clamp, a Y-injection site, a three-way stopcock and a catheter.
A group of forwards that play together.
A set of positions in a team which play in a similar position on the field
A set of positions in a team which play in a similar position on the field; in a traditional team, consisting of three players and acting as one of six such sets in the team.
A vascular catheter.
- patient had a line inserted
- line sepsis
Expresses that the speaker has forgotten their dialogue and needs to be prompted with it.
To place (objects) into a line (usually used with "up")
To place (objects) into a line (usually used with "up"); to form into a line; to align.
- to line troops
- They lined up the books against the wall.
To place persons or things along the side of for security or defense
To place persons or things along the side of for security or defense; to strengthen by adding; to fortify.
- to line works with soldiers
- Line and new repair our towns of war With men of courage and with means defendant.
To form a line along.
To mark with a line or lines
To mark with a line or lines; to cover with lines.
- to line a copy book
To align (one or more switches) to direct a train onto a particular track.
- The dispatcher lined the switches at Pickle interlocking for the freight turnout to clear the train into the passing track before the express arrived.
To represent by lines
To represent by lines; to delineate; to portray.
- All the pictures fairest lined Are but black to Rosalind.
To read or repeat line by line.
- to line out a hymn
- Slowly, painfully, the ten dollars was collected. The door was opened, and the gust of warm air revived us. Zeebo lined On Jordan’s Stormy Banks, and church was over.
To hit a line drive
To hit a line drive; to hit a line drive which is caught for an out. Compare fly and ground.
- Jones lined to left in his last at-bat.
To track (wild bees) to their nest by following their line of flight.
To measure.
A group of people born in a certain year (liners).
- maknae line; hyung line; 97 line
Flax, linen.
The longer fiber(s) of flax.
To cover the inner surface of (something), originally especially with linen.
- to line a cloak with silk or fur
- to line a box with paper or tin
- The bird lines its nest with soft grass.
To fill or supply (something), as a purse with money.
- to line the shelves
- because the charge amounteth mostly very high for any one man's purse, except lined beyond ordinary, to reach unto
To copulate with, to impregnate.
An English and Scottish surname.
Acronym of long interspersed nuclear element, a type of retrotransposon in genomics.
A close quarters combat system, see LINE (combat system) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
The neighborhood
Derived
11 lines, 18-yard line, above-line, above the line, absorption line, acanthiomeatal line, accommodation line, across the line, address line, advanced stop line, adviceline, agonic line, airline, air line, A-line, aline, along the lines of, anchor line, apse line, Armstrong line, Armstrong's line, arterial line, art line, assembly line, asymmetric digital subscriber line, backline, back line, balkline, Balmer line, bankline, barline, bar line, baseline, bassline, battle-line, battleline, battle line, baulk line, beachline, beamline · +956 more
Vish — recursive loop
No curated loop yet for line. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.
sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA