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Line

//laɪn// name, noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Proper Noun

1
An English and Scottish surname.

Noun

1
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."
2
A group of people born in a certain year (liners).
"maknae line; hyung line; 97 line"
3
Flax, linen. obsolete, uncountable
4
Acronym of long interspersed nuclear element, a type of retrotransposon in genomics. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
5
the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money wordnet

Show 86 more definitions

6
A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight.; An infinitely extending one-dimensional figure that has no curvature; one that has length but not breadth or thickness.
7
The longer fiber(s) of flax. uncountable
8
A close quarters combat system, see LINE (combat system) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
9
acting in conformity wordnet
10
A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight.; A line segment; a continuous finite segment of such a figure. informal
11
a conductor for transmitting electrical or optical signals or electric power wordnet
12
A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight.; An edge of a graph.
13
something (as a cord or rope) that is long and thin and flexible wordnet
14
A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight.; A circle of latitude or of longitude, as represented on a map.
15
the road consisting of railroad track and roadbed wordnet
16
A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight.; The equator.
17
a commercial organization serving as a common carrier wordnet
18
A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight.; One of the straight horizontal and parallel prolonged strokes on and between which the notes are placed.
19
a particular kind of product or merchandise wordnet
20
A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight.; The horizontal path of a ball towards the batsman (see also length).
21
a pipe used to transport liquids or gases wordnet
22
A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight.; The goal line.
"St Johnstone's Liam Craig had to clear off the line before Steven Anderson sent a looping header into his own net for the equaliser on 36 minutes."
23
mechanical system in a factory whereby an article is conveyed through sites at which successive operations are performed on it wordnet
24
A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight.; A particular path taken by a vehicle when driving a bend or corner in the road.
""I guess it's like race cars - if you get the right line you can come out at top speed.""
25
a telephone connection wordnet
26
A rope, cord, string, thread, or cable, of any thickness.
27
a conceptual separation or distinction wordnet
28
A hose, tube, or pipe, of any size.
"a brake line"
29
a course of reasoning aimed at demonstrating a truth or falsehood; the methodical process of logical reasoning wordnet
30
Direction, path.
"the line of sight"
31
(often plural) a means of communication or access wordnet
32
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."
33
a short personal letter wordnet
34
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."
35
a mark that is long relative to its width wordnet
36
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."
37
text consisting of a row of words written across a page or computer screen wordnet
38
A letter, a written form of communication.
"Drop me a line."
39
persuasive but insincere talk that is usually intended to deceive or impress wordnet
40
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"
41
a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence wordnet
42
A trench or rampart, or the non-physical demarcation of the extent of the territory occupied by specified forces. especially
43
the hereditary derivation of an individual wordnet
44
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,"
45
a connected series of events or actions or developments wordnet
46
A long tape or ribbon marked with units for measuring; a tape measure.
47
a formation of people or things one behind another wordnet
48
A measuring line or cord. obsolete
"The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house."
49
a formation of people or things one beside another wordnet
50
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."
51
a spatial location defined by a real or imaginary unidimensional extent wordnet
52
A threadlike crease or wrinkle marking the face, hand, or body; hence, a characteristic mark.
53
in games or sports; a mark indicating positions or bounds of the playing area wordnet
54
Lineament; feature; figure (of one's body).
55
a fortified position (especially one marking the most forward position of troops) wordnet
56
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"
57
a single frequency (or very narrow band) of radiation in a spectrum wordnet
58
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.; Ellipsis of line of battle. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
59
the maximum credit that a customer is allowed wordnet
60
The regular infantry of an army, as distinguished from militia, guards, volunteer corps, cavalry, artillery, etc.
61
space for one line of print (one column wide and 1/14 inch deep) used to measure advertising wordnet
62
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."
63
a length (straight or curved) without breadth or thickness; the trace of a moving point wordnet
64
A series or succession of ancestors or descendants of a given person; a family or race; compare lineage.
65
a slight depression or fold in the smoothness of a surface wordnet
66
A small amount of text. Specifically:; A written or printed row of letters, words, numbers, or other text, especially a row of words extending across a page or column, or a blank in place of such text.
"The answer to the comprehension question can be found in the third line of the accompanying text."
67
A small amount of text. Specifically:; A verse (in poetry).
"Nay if you read this line, remember not, / The hand that writ it."
68
A small amount of text. Specifically:; A sentence of dialogue, especially in a play, movie, or the like.
"He was perfecting his pickup lines for use at the bar."
69
A small amount of text. Specifically:; A lie or exaggeration, especially one told to gain another's approval or prevent losing it.
"Don't feed me a line!"
70
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."
71
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."
72
Information about or understanding of something. (Mostly restricted to the expressions get a line on, have a line on, and give a line on.) slang
"Judy gave me a line on a lawyer who's supposed to be the best in the business."
73
A set of products or services sold by a business, or by extension, the business itself.
"line of business, product line"
74
A number of shares taken by a jobber.
75
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..."
76
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:; A tsarist-era Russian unit of measure, approximately equal to one tenth of an English inch, used especially when measuring the calibre of firearms. historical
77
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:; One twelfth of an inch.
"The cut is measured in thickness from a quarter of a line to a line and a half (a line is one-twelfth of an inch)."
78
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:; One sixteenth of an inch.
79
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:; One fortieth of an inch.
"In case any of the committee do not understand what is meant by a rate per line, I may say that buttons, being very small, are not measured by the foot or inch, but by the line, a line being one-fortieth of an inch. For example, that is a 27-line button[…]."
80
Ellipsis of agate line (one fourteenth of an inch). abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
"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."
81
A maxwell, a unit of magnetic flux. historical
82
The batter's box. slang, with-definite-article
83
The position in which the fencers hold their swords.
"Thus, for example, in the line of Quarte, the direct thrust is parried by dropping the point under the adversary's blade and circling upwards, throwing off the attack in the opposite line (that of Tierce), and upon the direct thrust in the line of Tierce, by a similar action throwing off the attack in the opposite line (that of Quarte)."
84
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"
85
A portion or serving of a powdery recreational drug, especially cocaine, formed into a line on a flat surface in preparation for snorting. informal
"I watched him take a line of cocaine."
86
Instruction; doctrine. obsolete
"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."
87
A population of cells derived from a single cell and containing the same genetic makeup.
88
a set composed of a spike, a drip chamber, a clamp, a Y-injection site, a three-way stopcock and a catheter.
89
A group of forwards that play together.
90
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.
91
A vascular catheter. colloquial
"patient had a line inserted"

Verb

1
To place (objects) into a line (usually used with "up"); to form into a line; to align. transitive
"to line troops"
2
To cover the inner surface of (something), originally especially with linen. transitive
"to line a cloak with silk or fur"
3
To copulate with, to impregnate. archaic, transitive
4
reinforce with fabric wordnet
5
To place persons or things along the side of for security or defense; to strengthen by adding; to fortify. transitive
"to line works with soldiers"

Show 14 more definitions

6
To fill or supply (something), as a purse with money. transitive
"to line the shelves"
7
fill plentifully wordnet
8
To form a line along. transitive
9
cover the interior of wordnet
10
To mark with a line or lines; to cover with lines. transitive
"to line a copy book"
11
mark with lines wordnet
12
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."
13
make a mark or lines on a surface wordnet
14
To represent by lines; to delineate; to portray. obsolete, transitive
"All the pictures fairest lined Are but black to Rosalind."
15
be in line with; form a line along wordnet
16
To read or repeat line by line. dated, transitive
"to line out a hymn"
17
To hit a line drive; to hit a line drive which is caught for an out. Compare fly and ground. intransitive
"Jones lined to left in his last at-bat."
18
To track (wild bees) to their nest by following their line of flight. transitive
19
To measure. transitive

Etymology

Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Korean 라인 (rain, “members with a shared characteristic”), itself from English line. Likely generalized via hyung line, maknae line, etc.

Etymology 4

From Old English līn (“flax, linen, cloth”). For more information, see the entry linen.

Etymology 5

From Old English līn (“flax, linen, cloth”). For more information, see the entry linen.

Etymology 6

Borrowed from Middle French ligner.

Etymology 7

From the Middle English surname, derived from the Anglo-Norman suffix -line found in names such as Adeline and Madeline.

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