What does "lint" mean?
Clinging fuzzy fluff that clings to fabric or accumulates in one's pockets or navel etc.
Lint
/lɪnt/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Clinging fuzzy fluff that clings to fabric or accumulates in one's pockets or navel etc.
- Grammar: lint is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: ace bandage, adhesive tape, air pollution, analyze.
- Useful contrasts: bare fabric, cleanliness, compiler.
- Usage evidence: Be sure to clear the lint trap before you run the dryer. Otherwise, you might start a fire.
How to use "lint"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "lint" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "lint" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "lint" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "lint" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "lint" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ace bandage" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "lint", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Clinging fuzzy fluff that clings to fabric or accumulates in one's pockets or navel etc. uncountable, usually
"Clean the lint out of the vacuum cleaner's filter."
- 2 cotton or linen fabric with the nap raised on one side; used to dress wounds wordnet
- 3 A fine material made by scraping cotton or linen cloth; used for dressing wounds. uncountable, usually
- 4 fine ravellings of cotton or linen fibers wordnet
- 5 The fibrous coat of thick hairs covering the seeds of the cotton plant. uncountable, usually
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Raw cotton ready for baling. uncountable, usually
Verb
- 1 To perform a static check on (source code) to detect stylistic or programmatic errors. transitive
"You should lint your JavaScript code before committing it."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Be sure to clear the lint trap before you run the dryer. Otherwise, you might start a fire."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "lint"?
Common synonyms include: ace bandage, adhesive tape, air pollution, analyze, application, attritus.
How do you use "lint" in a sentence?
Be sure to clear the lint trap before you run the dryer. Otherwise, you might start a fire.
How do you pronounce "lint"?
Pronounced /lɪnt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English lynet, linet, from Old French linette (“grain of flax”), diminutive of lin (“flax”); or, from Medieval Latin linteum, from Latin līnum (“flax”).
Etymology 2
From the lint Unix utility, written in 1979, which analyses programs written in the C language, itself named after the undesirable bits of fiber and fluff found in sheep's wool (see etymology 1).
Etymology 3
* As an occupational English surname, from the noun lint, chiefly in the Scottish English sense "flax fibers for spinning." * As a Dutch surname, from several placenames with the element Lint, probably from linde (“lime tree”).