Beeline

//ˈbiːlaɪn// noun, verb

noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A very direct or quick path or trip.

    "to make / strike a beeline for / to something"

  2. 2
    the most direct route wordnet
  3. 3
    A dynamite fuse made with a small quantity of dynamite powder along its length, so that the spark travels quickly and at a specific known rate. historical
Verb
  1. 1
    To travel in a straight line, ignoring established paths of travel. intransitive, transitive

    "A uniformed policeman came off the elevator and beelined for the nurse's station. I beelined into the stairwell. I wasn't in the mood for chatting with the police."

Example

More examples

"As soon as Jim got home, he made a beeline for the rest room."

Etymology

From bee + line, due to the belief that a bee returns to its hive in a straight course, originally an Americanism.

Related phrases

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.