line

plural lines

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.

   1. geometryAn infinitely extending one-dimensional figure that has no curvature; one that has length but not breadth or thickness.

      Synonyms: straight line

   2. informalgeometryA line segment; a continuous finite segment of such a figure.

      Synonyms: line segment

   3. graph theoryAn edge of a graph.
   4. geographyA circle of latitude or of longitude, as represented on a map.
   5. 'the line' or 'equinoctial line'geographyThe equator.
   6. entertainmentOne of the straight horizontal and parallel prolonged strokes on and between which the notes are placed.
   7. ball gamesThe horizontal path of a ball towards the batsman (see also length).
   8. ball gamesThe 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.

      2011 October 1, Clive Lindsay, “Kilmarnock 1-2 St Johnstone”, in BBC Sport

   9. automotiveA 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."

      2021 February 28, The Road Ahead, Brisbane, page 10, column 3

2. A rope, cord, string, thread, or cable, of any thickness.
3. A hose, tube, or pipe, of any size.

   a brake line

   1 more example

   the main water line to the house

4. Direction, path.

   the line of sight

   1 more example

   the line of vision

5. 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.

   line of thinking

   1 more example

   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.

6. The wire connecting one telegraphic station with another, a telephone or internet cable between two points: a telephone or network connection.

   a dedicated line;  a shared line

   3 more examples

   I tried to make a call, but the line was dead.

   Please speak up, the line is very faint.

   The line went dead. His eyes bright, The Whisper took up a fistful of plugs and started talking to the town.

   1954, Ian Fleming, “Nigger Heaven”, in Live and Let Die, London: Pan Books, published 1957, page 45

7. 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.

   1 more example

   She feels guilty for pampering him, and salves her conscience by bossily ordering him to go and fetch the clothes from the line[.]

   1985, Joan Morrison, Share House Blues, Boolarong Publications, page 26

8. A short letter, a written form of communication.

   Drop me a line.

   1 more example

   You don't mind giving me a line of introduction to your niece?

   1914, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados

   Synonyms: epistle, letter, note

9. 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.

   an express line

   1 more example

   a line of stages

10. especiallygovernmentA trench or rampart, or the non-physical demarcation of the extent of the territory occupied by specified forces.
11. 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,

    1674, John Milton, Paradise Lost, volume IV

12. A conceptual division or distinction.

    fine line

    1 more example

    As he points out, "In a lot of these traditions, there's less of a line between art and craft."

    2026 May 28, Hannah Martin, quoting Robell Awake, “Grab a Chair”, in Architectural Digest, volume 83, number 4, page 24

13. A long tape or ribbon marked with units for measuring; a tape measure.
14. obsoleteA measuring line or cord.

    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.

    1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Isaiah 44:13

15. 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.

    1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 16:6

16. A threadlike crease or wrinkle marking the face, hand, or body; hence, a characteristic mark.
17. Lineament; feature; figure (of one's body).
18. 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.First known use mid-16th c.

    get in line

    3 more examples

    The line forms on the right.

    There is a line of houses.

    A band of brothers gathering round me, made, / Although unarmed, a steadfast front[…]now the line / Of war extended, to our rallying cry / As myriads flocked in love and brotherhood to die.

    1817, Percy Shelley, The Revolt of Islam

    Synonyms: lineup, queue, tail

    1. abbreviationellipsisgovernmentEllipsis of line of battle.

       Synonyms: lineup, queue, tail

19. governmentThe regular infantry of an army, as distinguished from militia, guards, volunteer corps, cavalry, artillery, etc.
20. entertainmentA 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.

    2015, Mícheál Houlahan, Philip Tacka, Kodály in the Third Grade Classroom

21. A series or succession of ancestors or descendants of a given person; a family or race; compare lineage.
22. A small amount of text. Specifically:
    1. 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.

       Synonyms: row

    2. A verse (in poetry).

       Nay if you read this line, remember not, / The hand that writ it.

       1609, William Shakespeare, Sonnet 71

    3. A sentence of dialogue, especially in a play, movie, or the like.First known use late 19th c.

       He was perfecting his pickup lines for use at the bar.

       3 more examples

       "It is what it is" was one of his more annoying lines.

       Anyone who has worked with Littlewood will wince at the memory of going over single lines time and time again, each actor in turn speaking the line until the valid intonation, phasing and emphasis emerged.

       2010, Alison Hodge, Actor training, page 138

       Many have reported success shutting down the conversation with lines like these: “I'm making healthier choices. I'm going to the gym. I'm being mindful of what I'm eating, or I'm working with a health care professional.”

       2026 January 29, Angela Haupt, “Can I Ask Someone if They’re on Ozempic?”, in TIME, archived from the original on 01 Feb 2026

    4. A lie, exaggeration, or spin, especially one said to gain another's approval or prevent losing it.

       Don't feed me a line!

    5. abbreviationellipsisEllipsis of pick-up line.
23. Course of conduct, thought, occupation, or policy; method of argument; department of industry, trade, or intellectual activity.First known use earlier 17th c.

    He [Mackintosh] is uncommonly powerful in his own line; but it is not the line of a first-rate man.

    1823 April 27, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “Kean—Sir James Mackintosh—Sir H. Davy—Robert Smith [Robert Percy Smith?]—Canning—National Debt—Poor Laws”, in H[enry] N[elson] C[oleridge], editor, Specimens of the Table Talk of the Late Samuel Taylor Coleridge. […], volume I, London: John Murray, […], published 1835, →OCLC, page 25

    1 more example

    "What you mean, comparing me to them botchers and bunglers? There ain't anybody but me in the furniture restoring line."

    1950, Norman Lindsay, Dust or Polish?, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 77

24. The official, stated position (or set of positions) of an individual or group, particularly a political or religious faction.First known use later 19th c.

    Remember, your answers must match the party line.

    1 more example

    If that was the line, then fair enough. Albeit, a line [Julian] Nagelsmann may have wanted to run past his players before they did their post-match media duties. “

    2026 June 28, Jonathan Liew, “Germany trapped between past and future with team lost in identity malaise”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

25. slangInformation about or understanding of something. (Mostly restricted to the expressions get a line on, have a line on, and give a line on.)

    Judy gave me a line on a lawyer who's supposed to be the best in the business.

    1 more example

    She's got the best line on Hickey. Maybe she knows a way to put the heart back into him.

    1916 March 11, Charles E. Van Loan, “His Folks”, in Saturday Evening Post

26. A set of products or services sold by a business, or by extension, the business itself.First known use early 19th c.

    line of business, product line

    4 more examples

    How many buses does the line have?

    The airline is in danger of bankruptcy.

    Have nothing to do with snide goods; let it be known throughout the world that the farmers and dairymen, yea, and those engaged in other industries in the great State of Illinois, produce only the best of everything in their lines, and we will be the last to feel the effects of over-production.

    1890, Illinois State Dairymen's Association, Annual Report (volume 16, page 21)

    Last year, just ahead of Woodworking in America, Kreg Tool introduced its new Ionic Drive line of cordless power tools.

    2026 August 28, Collin Knoff, “Kreg's New Ionic Drive Cordless Tools”, in Popular Woodworking, volume 290, number 4, page 9

27. businessA number of shares taken by a jobber.
28. 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...

    1847, Sir Erasmus Wilson, On Diseases of the Skin. Second edition

29. 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:
    1. historicalA tsarist-era Russian unit of measure, approximately equal to one tenth of an English inch, used especially when measuring the calibre of firearms.
    2. 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).

       1883, Alfred Swaine Taylor, Thomas Stevenson, The principles and practice of medical jurisprudence

    3. One sixteenth of an inch.
    4. 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[…].

       1922, “Statement of James Turner, Representing Universal Button Fastening Co., Detriot, Mich.”, in Hearings Before the Committee on Finance, United States Senate, page 5337

30. abbreviationellipsisadvertisingEllipsis of agate line (one fourteenth of an inch).

    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.

    1912, Miscellaneous Series, numbers 7-11, page 25

31. historicalA maxwell, a unit of magnetic flux.
32. slangwith definite articleball gamesThe batter's box.
33. fencingThe position in which the fencers hold their swords.

    1 more example

    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).

    1861, George Chapman, Foil Practice, with a Review of the Art of Fencing, page 12

    Synonyms: line of engagement

34. engineeringProper 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

35. informalA portion or serving of a powdery recreational drug, especially cocaine, formed into a line on a flat surface in preparation for snorting.

    I watched him take a line of cocaine.

36. obsoleteInstruction; doctrine.

    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.

    1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 19:4

37. biologyA population of cells derived from a single cell and containing the same genetic makeup.
38. perfusion linea set composed of a spike, a drip chamber, a clamp, a Y-injection site, a three-way stopcock and a catheter.
39. hobbiesA group of forwards that play together.
40. Australian rules footballA 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.
41. colloquialmedicineA vascular catheter.

    line sepsis

    1 more example

    patient had a line inserted

1. actingExpresses that the speaker has forgotten their dialogue and needs to be prompted with it.

present singular third person lines · participle present lining · participle past lined · past lined

1. transitiveTo place (objects) into a line (usually used with "up"); to form into a line; to align.

   to line troops

   1 more example

   They lined up the books against the wall.

2. transitiveTo place persons or things along the side of for security or defense; to strengthen by adding; to fortify.

   to line works with soldiers

   1 more example

   Line and new repair our towns of war With men of courage and with means defendant.

   1599, William Shakespeare, Henry V, ii 4

3. transitiveTo form a line along.
4. transitiveTo mark with a line or lines; to cover with lines.

   to line a copy book

5. rail transportTo 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.

6. obsoletetransitiveTo represent by lines; to delineate; to portray.

   All the pictures fairest lined Are but black to Rosalind.

   1598, William Shakespeare, As You Like It, iii 2

7. datedtransitivenow more often line outTo read or repeat line by line.

   to line out a hymn

   1 more example

   Slowly, painfully, the ten dollars was collected. The door was opened, and the gust of warm air revived us. Zeebo lined On Jordan’s Stormy Banks, and church was over.

   1960 July 11, Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, Philadelphia, Pa.; New York, N.Y.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott Company, →OCLC

8. intransitiveball gamesTo hit a line drive; to hit a line drive which is caught for an out. Compare fly and ground.

   Jones lined to left in his last at-bat.

9. transitiveTo track (wild bees) to their nest by following their line of flight.
10. transitiveTo measure.

plural lines

1. South Korean idol fandomA group of people born in a certain year (liners).

   maknae line; hyung line; 97 line

alternative lin · alternative lyne

1. obsoleteuncountableFlax, linen.
2. uncountableThe longer fiber(s) of flax.

present singular third person lines · participle present lining · participle past lined · past lined · alternative lin · alternative lyne

1. transitiveTo cover the inner surface of (something), originally especially with linen.

   to line a box with paper or tin

   4 more examples

   to line a cloak with silk or fur

   The bird lines its nest with soft grass.

   Paintings lined the walls of the cavernous dining room.

   In the midst stalked the King, his great limbs muffled, like Goldry’s, in a cloak: and it was of black silk lined with black bearskin, and ornamented with crabs worked in diamonds.

   1922, E[ric] R[ücker] Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros: A Romance, London: Jonathan Cape […], →OCLC, page 19

2. transitiveTo fill or supply (something), as a purse with money.

   to line the shelves

   1 more example

   because the charge amounteth mostly very high for any one man's purse, except lined beyond ordinary, to reach unto

   1602, Richard Carew, edited by Thomas Tonkin, Carew's Survey of Cornwall, published 1811, page 34

present singular third person lines · participle present lining · participle past lined · past lined

1. archaictransitiveTo copulate with, to impregnate.

1. An English and Scottish surname.

plural LINEs

1. abbreviationacronymbiologyAcronym of long interspersed nuclear element, a type of retrotransposon in genomics.
2. A close quarters combat system, see LINE (combat system) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia