Word: line Part of Speech: noun Etymology: 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. Pronunciation: /laɪn/, /lɑɪn/, [lɑe̯n], /lʌɪn/ 1. A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight. Example: 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. 3. A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight. Labels: 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. 5. A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight. 6. A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight. 7. A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight. 8. A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight. 9. A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight. Example: 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. 10. A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight. Example: "I guess it's like race cars - if you get the right line you can come out at top speed." 11. A rope, cord, string, thread, or cable, of any thickness. 12. A hose, tube, or pipe, of any size. Example: a brake line Example: the main water line to the house 13. Direction, path. Example: the line of sight Example: 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. Example: line of thinking 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. 15. The wire connecting one telegraphic station with another, a telephone or internet cable between two points: a telephone or network connection. Example: I tried to make a call, but the line was dead. Example: a dedicated line; a shared line 16. A clothesline. Example: 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. Example: She feels guilty for pampering him, and salves her conscience by bossily ordering him to go and fetch the clothes from the line[.] 17. A short letter, a written form of communication. Example: Drop me a line. Example: You don't mind giving me a line of introduction to your niece? 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. Example: a line of stages Example: an express line 19. A trench or rampart, or the non-physical demarcation of the extent of the territory occupied by specified forces. Labels: especially 20. The exterior limit of a figure or territory: a boundary, contour, or outline; a demarcation. Example: Eden stretch'd her Line / From Auran Eastward to the Royal Towrs / Of great Seleucia, 21. A conceptual division or distinction. Example: fine line Example: As he points out, "In a lot of these traditions, there's less of a line between art and craft." 22. A long tape or ribbon marked with units for measuring; a tape measure. 23. A measuring line or cord. Labels: obsolete Example: 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. 24. That which was measured by a line, such as a field or any piece of land set apart; hence, allotted place of abode. Example: The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. 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. Example: get in line Example: 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. Labels: 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. Example: Students and the instructor sing the harmony line while the instructor plays the melody line on the piano. 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: Example: The answer to the comprehension question can be found in the third line of the accompanying text. 33. A small amount of text. Specifically: Example: Nay if you read this line, remember not, / The hand that writ it. 34. A small amount of text. Specifically: Example: He was perfecting his pickup lines for use at the bar. Example: "It is what it is" was one of his more annoying lines. 35. A small amount of text. Specifically: Example: Don't feed me a line! 36. A small amount of text. Specifically: Labels: abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis 37. Course of conduct, thought, occupation, or policy; method of argument; department of industry, trade, or intellectual activity. Example: He [Mackintosh] is uncommonly powerful in his own line; but it is not the line of a first-rate man. Example: "What you mean, comparing me to them botchers and bunglers? There ain't anybody but me in the furniture restoring line." 38. The official, stated position (or set of positions) of an individual or group, particularly a political or religious faction. Example: Remember, your answers must match the party line. 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. “ 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.) Labels: slang Example: Judy gave me a line on a lawyer who's supposed to be the best in the business. Example: She's got the best line on Hickey. Maybe she knows a way to put the heart back into him. 40. A set of products or services sold by a business, or by extension, the business itself. Example: line of business, product line Example: 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 Example: 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... 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: Labels: 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: Example: 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). 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: 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: Example: 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[…]. 47. Ellipsis of agate line (one fourteenth of an inch). Labels: abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis Example: 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. 48. A maxwell, a unit of magnetic flux. Labels: historical 49. The batter's box. Labels: slang, with-definite-article 50. The position in which the fencers hold their swords. 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). 51. Proper relative position or adjustment (of parts, not as to design or proportion, but with reference to smooth working). Example: 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. Labels: informal Example: I watched him take a line of cocaine. 53. Instruction; doctrine. Labels: obsolete Example: 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. 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. Labels: colloquial Example: patient had a line inserted Example: line sepsis