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line1

Syllabification: (line)
Pronunciation: /līn/

Translate line | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of line

noun

  • 1a long, narrow mark or band:a row of closely spaced dots will look like a continuous line I can’t draw a straight line
  • Mathematics a straight or curved continuous extent of length without breadth.
  • a positioning or movement of a thing or things that creates or appears to follow a line:her mouth set in an angry line the ball rose in a straight line
  • a furrow or wrinkle in the skin of the face or hands.
  • a contour or outline considered as a feature of design or composition:crisp architectural lines the artist’s use of clean line and color
  • (on a map or graph) a curve connecting all points having a specified common property.
  • a line marking the starting or finishing point in a race.
  • a line marked on a field or court that relates to the rules of a game or sport.
  • Football the line of scrimmage.
  • (the Line) the equator.
  • a notional limit or boundary:the issue of peace cut across class lines television blurs the line between news and entertainment
  • each of the very narrow horizontal sections forming a television picture.
  • Physics a narrow range of the spectrum noticeably brighter or darker than the adjacent parts.
  • (the line) the level of the base of most letters, such as h and x, in printing and writing.
  • [as modifier] Printing & Computing denoting an illustration or graphic consisting of lines and solid areas, with no gradation of tone:a line block line art
  • each of (usually five) horizontal lines forming a staff in musical notation.
  • a sequence of notes or tones forming an instrumental or vocal melody:a powerful melodic line
  • a dose of a powdered narcotic or hallucinatory drug, especially cocaine or heroin, laid out in a line.
  • 2a length of cord, rope, wire, or other material serving a particular purpose:wring the clothes and hang them on the line a telephone line
  • a telephone connection:she had a crank on the line
  • a railroad track.
  • a branch or route of a railroad system:the Philadelphia to Baltimore line
  • a company that provides ships, aircraft, or buses on particular routes on a regular basis:a major shipping line
  • 3a horizontal row of written or printed words.
  • a part of a poem forming one row of written or printed words:each stanza has eight lines
  • (lines) the words of an actor’s part in a play or film.
  • (lines) British an amount of text or number of repetitions of a sentence written out as a school punishment.
  • 4a row of people or things:a line of acolytes proceeded down the aisle
  • a row or sequence of people or vehicles awaiting their turn to be attended to or to proceed.
  • a connected series of people following one another in time (used especially of several generations of a family):we follow the history of a family through the male line
  • (in football, hockey, etc.) a set of players in the forwardmost positions for offense or defense.
  • Football one of the positions on the line of scrimmage.
  • a series of related things:the bill is the latest in a long line of measures to protect society from criminals
  • a range of commercial goods:the company intends to hire more people and expand its product line
  • informal a false or exaggerated account or story:he feeds me a line about this operation
  • the point spread for sports events on which bets may be made.
  • 5an area or branch of activity:the stresses unique to their line of work
  • a direction, course, or channel:lines of communication he opened another line of attack
  • (lines) a manner of doing or thinking about something:you can’t run a business on these lines the superintendent was thinking along the same lines
  • an agreed-upon approach; a policy:the official line is that there were no chemical attacks on allied troops
  • 6a connected series of military fieldworks or defenses facing an enemy force:raids behind enemy lines
  • an arrangement of soldiers or ships in a column or line formation; a line of battle.
  • (the line) regular army regiments (as opposed to auxiliary forces or household troops).

verb

[with object]
  • 1stand or be positioned at intervals along:a processional route lined by people waving flags
  • 2 (usually as adjective lined) mark or cover with lines:a thin woman with a lined face lined paper
  • 3 Baseball hit a line drive.

Phrases

above the line

  • 1 Finance denoting or relating to money spent on items of current expenditure.
  • 2 Bridge denoting bonus points and penalty points, which do not count toward the game.

all (the way) down (or along) the line

at every point or stage:the mistakes were caused by lack of care all down the line

along (or down) the line

at a further, later, or unspecified point:I knew that somewhere down the line there would be an inquest

below the line

  • 1 Finance denoting or relating to money spent on items of capital expenditure.
  • 2 Bridge denoting points for tricks bid and won, which count toward the game.

bring someone/something into line

cause someone or something to conform:the change in the law will bring Britain into line with Europe

come down to the line

(of a race) be closely fought right until the end.

come into line

conform:Britain has come into line with other Western democracies in giving the vote to its citizens living abroad

the end of the line

see the end of the road at end.

get a line on

informal learn something about.

in line

  • 1under control:that threat kept a lot of people in line
  • 2in a row waiting to proceed:I always peer at other people’s shopping carts as we stand in line

in line for

likely to receive:she might be in line for a cabinet post

in the line of duty

while one is working (used mainly of police officers, firefighters, or soldiers).

in (or out of) line with

in (or not in) alignment or accordance with:remuneration is in line with comparable international organizations

lay (or put) it on the line

speak frankly.

(draw) a line in the sand

(state that one has reached) a point beyond which one will not go.

line of communications

see communication.

line of credit

an amount of credit extended to a borrower.

line of fire

the expected path of gunfire or a missile:residents within line of fire were evacuated from their homes

line of flight

the route taken through the air.

line of force

an imaginary line that represents the strength and direction of a magnetic, gravitational, or electric field at any point.

the line of least resistance

see resistance.

line of march

the route taken in marching.

line of sight

a straight line along which an observer has unobstructed vision:a building that obstructs our line of sight

line of vision

the straight line along which an observer looks:Jimmy moved forward into Len’s line of vision

on the line

  • 1at serious risk:their careers were on the line
  • 2(of a picture in an exhibition) hung with its center about level with the spectator’s eye.

out of line

informal behaving in a way that breaks the rules or is considered disreputable or inappropriate:he had never stepped out of line with her before

Phrasal Verbs

line out

Baseball be put out by hitting a line drive that is caught.

line something out

transplant seedlings from beds into nursery lines, where they are grown before being moved to their permanent position.

line someone/something up

  • 1arrange a number of people or things in a straight row.
  • (line up) (of a number of people or things) be arranged in a straight row:we would line up across the parade ground, shoulder to shoulder
  • 2have someone or something ready or prepared:have you got any work lined up?

Origin:

Old English līne 'rope, series', probably of Germanic origin, from Latin linea (fibra) 'flax (fiber)', from linum 'flax', reinforced in Middle English by Old French ligne, based on Latin linea

line in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of line in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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