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ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

line.

A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight.

4 characters1 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

noun/laɪn/Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation/lɑen/Australia[lɑe̯n]New-Zealand/lʌɪn/Scotland
  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 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.

  3. 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
  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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).

  9. 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.

  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 particular path taken by a vehicle when driving a bend or corner in the road.

  11. A rope, cord, string, thread, or cable, of any thickness.

  12. A hose, tube, or pipe, of any size.

    a brake line
    the main water line to the house
  13. Direction, path.

    the line of sight
    the line of vision
  14. 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
    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.
  15. 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.
    a dedicated line;  a shared line
  16. 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.
  17. A short letter, a written form of communication.

    Drop me a line.
  18. 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
    an express line
  19. A trench or rampart, or the non-physical demarcation of the extent of the territory occupied by specified forces.

    especially
  20. The exterior limit of a figure or territory: a boundary, contour, or outline; a demarcation.

  21. A conceptual division or distinction.

    fine line
  22. A long tape or ribbon marked with units for measuring; a tape measure.

  23. A measuring line or cord.

    obsolete
  24. That which was measured by a line, such as a field or any piece of land set apart; hence, allotted place of abode.

  25. A threadlike crease or wrinkle marking the face, hand, or body; hence, a characteristic mark.

  26. Lineament; feature; figure (of one's body).

  27. 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
    The line forms on the right.
  28. 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
  29. The regular infantry of an army, as distinguished from militia, guards, volunteer corps, cavalry, artillery, etc.

  30. A series of notes forming a certain part (such as the bass or melody) of a greater work.

  31. A series or succession of ancestors or descendants of a given person; a family or race; compare lineage.

  32. 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.
  33. A small amount of text. Specifically: A verse (in poetry).

  34. 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.
    "It is what it is" was one of his more annoying lines.
  35. A small amount of text. Specifically: A lie, exaggeration, or spin, especially one said to gain another's approval or prevent losing it.

    Don't feed me a line!
  36. A small amount of text. Specifically: A lie, exaggeration, or spin, especially one said to gain another's approval or prevent losing it. Ellipsis of pick-up line.

    abbreviation · alt-of · ellipsis
  37. Course of conduct, thought, occupation, or policy; method of argument; department of industry, trade, or intellectual activity.

  38. 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.
  39. 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.
  40. A set of products or services sold by a business, or by extension, the business itself.

    line of business, product line
    How many buses does the line have?
  41. A number of shares taken by a jobber.

  42. 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

  43. 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
  44. 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.

  45. 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.

  46. 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.

  47. Ellipsis of agate line (one fourteenth of an inch).

    abbreviation · alt-of · ellipsis
  48. A maxwell, a unit of magnetic flux.

    historical
  49. The batter's box.

    slang · with-definite-article
  50. The position in which the fencers hold their swords.

  51. 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
  52. 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.
  53. Instruction; doctrine.

    obsolete
  54. A population of cells derived from a single cell and containing the same genetic makeup.

  55. a set composed of a spike, a drip chamber, a clamp, a Y-injection site, a three-way stopcock and a catheter.

  56. A group of forwards that play together.

  57. 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.

  58. A vascular catheter.

    colloquial
    patient had a line inserted
    line sepsis
Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *līno-der.? Proto-Germanic *līną Proto-Germanic *līnǭ Proto-West Germanic *līnā Old English līne Middle English line English line 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.

intj/laɪn/Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation/lɑen/Australia[lɑe̯n]New-Zealand/lʌɪn/Scotland
  1. Expresses that the speaker has forgotten their dialogue and needs to be prompted with it.

Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *līno-der.? Proto-Germanic *līną Proto-Germanic *līnǭ Proto-West Germanic *līnā Old English līne Middle English line English line 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.

verb/laɪn/Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation/lɑen/Australia[lɑe̯n]New-Zealand/lʌɪn/Scotland
  1. To place (objects) into a line (usually used with "up"); to form into a line; to align.

    transitive
    to line troops
    They lined up the books against the wall.
  2. 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
  3. To form a line along.

    transitive
  4. To mark with a line or lines; to cover with lines.

    transitive
    to line a copy book
  5. 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.
  6. To represent by lines; to delineate; to portray.

    obsolete · transitive
  7. To read or repeat line by line.

    dated · transitive
    to line out a hymn
  8. 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.
  9. To track (wild bees) to their nest by following their line of flight.

    transitive
  10. To measure.

    transitive
Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *līno-der.? Proto-Germanic *līną Proto-Germanic *līnǭ Proto-West Germanic *līnā Old English līne Middle English line English line 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.

noun/laɪn/Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation/lɑen/Australia[lɑe̯n]New-Zealand/lʌɪn/Scotland
  1. A group of people born in a certain year (liners).

    maknae line; hyung line; 97 line
Where this word comes from

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

noun/laɪn/Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation/lɑen/Australia[lɑe̯n]New-Zealand/lʌɪn/Scotland
  1. Flax, linen.

    obsolete · uncountable
  2. The longer fiber(s) of flax.

    uncountable
Where this word comes from

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

verb/laɪn/Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation/lɑen/Australia[lɑe̯n]New-Zealand/lʌɪn/Scotland
  1. To cover the inner surface of (something), originally especially with linen.

    transitive
    to line a cloak with silk or fur
    to line a box with paper or tin
  2. To fill or supply (something), as a purse with money.

    transitive
    to line the shelves
Where this word comes from

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

verb/laɪn/Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation/lɑen/Australia[lɑe̯n]New-Zealand/lʌɪn/Scotland
  1. To copulate with, to impregnate.

    archaic · transitive
Where this word comes from

Borrowed from Middle French ligner.

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Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.