line
IPA: ɫˈaɪn
noun
- A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight.
- (geometry) An infinitely extending one-dimensional figure that has no curvature; one that has length but not breadth or thickness.
- (geometry, informal) A line segment; a continuous finite segment of such a figure.
- (graph theory) An edge of a graph.
- (geography) A circle of latitude or of longitude, as represented on a map.
- (geography, 'the line' or 'equinoctial line') The equator.
- (music) One of the straight horizontal and parallel prolonged strokes on and between which the notes are placed.
- (cricket) The horizontal path of a ball towards the batsman (see also length).
- (soccer) The goal line.
- (automotive) A particular path taken by a vehicle when driving a bend or corner in the road.
- A rope, cord, string, or thread, of any thickness.
- A hose or pipe, of any size.
- Direction, path.
- The wire connecting one telegraphic station with another, a telephone or internet cable between two points: a telephone or network connection.
- A clothesline.
- A letter, a written form of communication.
- A connected series of public conveyances, as a roadbed or railway track; and hence, an established arrangement for forwarding merchandise, etc.
- (military) 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: a boundary, contour, or outline; a demarcation.
- A long tape or ribbon marked with units for measuring; a tape measure.
- (obsolete) A measuring line or cord.
- That which was measured by a line, such as a field or any piece of land set apart; hence, allotted place of abode.
- A threadlike crease or wrinkle marking the face, hand, or body; hence, a characteristic mark.
- Lineament; feature; figure (of one's body).
- 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.
- (military) The regular infantry of an army, as distinguished from militia, guards, volunteer corps, cavalry, artillery, etc.
- (music) A series of notes forming a certain part (such as the bass or melody) of a greater work.
- 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 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.
- A verse (in poetry).
- A sentence of dialogue, especially in a play, movie, or the like.
- A lie or exaggeration, especially one told to gain another's approval or prevent losing it.
- Course of conduct, thought, occupation, or policy; method of argument; department of industry, trade, or intellectual activity.
- The official, stated position (or set of positions) of an individual or group, particularly a political or religious faction.
- (slang) Information about or understanding of something. (Mostly restricted to the expressions get a line on, have a line on, and give a line on.)
- A set of products or services sold by a business, or by extension, the business itself.
- (stock exchange) A number of shares taken by a jobber.
- 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:
- (historical) A tsarist-era Russian unit of measure, approximately equal to one tenth of an English inch, used especially when measuring the calibre of firearms.
- One twelfth of an inch.
- One sixteenth of an inch.
- One fortieth of an inch.
- (historical) A maxwell, a unit of magnetic flux.
- (baseball, slang, 1800s, with "the") The batter's box.
- (fencing) The position in which the fencers hold their swords.
- (engineering) Proper relative position or adjustment (of parts, not as to design or proportion, but with reference to smooth working).
- A small path-shaped portion or serving of a powdery illegal drug, especially cocaine.
- (obsolete) Instruction; doctrine.
- (genetics) A population of cells derived from a single cell and containing the same genetic makeup.
- (perfusion line) a set composed of a spike, a drip chamber, a clamp, a Y-injection site, a three-way stopcock and a catheter.
- (ice hockey) A group of forwards that play together.
- (Australian rules football) 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.
- (medicine, colloquial) A vascular catheter.
- (South Korean idol fandom) A group of people born in a certain year (liners).
- (obsolete) Flax; linen, particularly the longer fiber of flax.
- An English and Scottish surname.
- A close quarters combat system, see LINE (combat system) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
- (military, nautical) Ellipsis of line of battle. [(military) The position of troops drawn up in their usual order without any determined maneuver.]
- (advertising) Short for agate line. [A unit of advertising space that is one column wide and one agate (one fourteenth of an inch) deep.]
- (genetics) Acronym of long interspersed nuclear element, a type of retrotransposon in genomics.
verb
- (transitive) To place (objects) into a line (usually used with "up"); to form into a line; to align.
- (transitive) To place persons or things along the side of for security or defense; to strengthen by adding; to fortify.
- (transitive) To form a line along.
- (transitive) To mark with a line or lines; to cover with lines.
- (rail transport) To align (one or more switches) to direct a train onto a particular track.
- (transitive, obsolete) To represent by lines; to delineate; to portray.
- (transitive) To read or repeat line by line.
- (intransitive, baseball) To hit a line drive; to hit a line drive which is caught for an out. Compare fly and ground.
- (transitive) To track (wild bees) to their nest by following their line of flight.
- (transitive) To measure.
- (transitive) To cover the inner surface of (something), originally especially with linen.
- To reinforce (the back of a book) with glue and glued scrap material such as fabric or paper.
- (transitive) To fill or supply (something), as a purse with money.
- (transitive, now rare, of a dog) To copulate with, to impregnate.
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Examples of "line" in Sentences
- Billings voters find long lines toregister.
- It was the junction of a short branch line to Chard.
- It was not long before the future of the line was in jeopardy.
- A short pendant line preferably couples the hook to the anchor.
- The poem consists of forty six short lines with assonant rhyme.
- The origins of the limits vary depending on the length of the line.
- A short reprise of the stanza is also said as the last lines of the movie.
- The length of submarine cable is and the total length of overhead lines is.
- The comment line in the history is so short that it is hard not to sound gruff.
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