line

SayLYN/laɪn//lɑɪn/

Plurallines

Verblines, lining, lined

74 meanings of line

Practice

1
drawn marknouncountable
A long mark drawn on a surface, either straight or curved.
Like the mark a crayon leaves when you drag it across paper.
Draw a line from one dot to the other.
She drew a wavy line across the page.
UsageSay draw a line or a straight line.
Similarstroke, mark, stripe
Note
2
standing in a rownouncountable
A row of people or things, often waiting their turn.
Like beads on a string, one after another.
We stood in line for an hour to buy tickets.
The kids formed a line at the door before lunch.
UsageSay wait in line or stand in line.
Similarqueue, lineup
Note
3
rail routenouncountable
A route or track, or a regular service of trains, buses or ships that runs along it.
The new train line opens next month.
We took the red line to the city center.
UsageSay take the red line or a train line.
Similarroute, track, service, company
Note
4
nouncountable
The edge or border that marks where something ends.
Don't step over the line during the race.
The fence marks the line between the two yards.
UsageSay the line between two places.
Similarboundary, border, outline, contour, edge
Note
5
nouncountable
A row of words across a page, such as one line of a poem.
Like one row of seats in a theater, but made of words.
Read the top line of the page out loud.
Read the first line of the poem out loud.
UsageTo read between the lines is to find a meaning that is not said.
6
product rangenouncountable
A group of products or services that a company sells.
The company launched a new line of sneakers.
This line of soaps sells very well.
UsageSay a new line of shoes.
Similarrange, collection, series
Note
7
nouncountable
A phone or internet connection, or the wire or cable that carries it.
The line went dead in the middle of our call.
Please hold the line while I check on that.
UsageSay hold the line when you ask someone to wait on the phone.
Similarconnection, cable, wire
Note
8
verbtransitive
To get into a row, or to put people or things into a neat row.
Like putting toy soldiers in a straight row.
Please line the chairs along the wall.
The teacher lined up the students by height.
UsageSay line up the chairs or line the chairs up.
Similaralign, arrange, array
9
cover insideverbtransitive
To cover the inside of something with another material.
Like putting a soft layer inside a jewelry box.
They lined the box with soft cloth.
Line the basket with paper before adding the fruit.
UsageSay line a box with paper.
Similarface, coat, cover
Note
10
actor's wordsnouncountable
A piece of what a character says in a play or film.
The actor forgot his line during the show.
She practiced every line until she knew it perfectly.
UsageActors learn their lines before a show.
Note
11
nouncountable
A way of acting or thinking, as in 'line of thought', or a kind of work, as in 'line of business'.
What line of work are you in?
Selling cars is not really my line.
UsageAsk What line of work are you in? to ask about someone's job.
Similarfield, area, branch, kind
Note
12
stand alongverbtransitive
To stand or be placed in a row along the side of something.
Like beads sitting in a row along a string.
Crowds lined the streets to watch the parade.
Tall trees line the road to the house.
UsageSay people lined the streets to watch a parade.
Similarborder, flank, edge, fringe
13
nouncountable
A row of defenses, or the edge of the land an army holds.
Like a fence that shows where one side's land ends.
The soldiers held the line against repeated attacks.
Enemy troops broke through the line at dawn.
UsageSoldiers hold the line when they stop the enemy getting through.
Similarfront, trench, barrier
Note
14
ancestrynouncountable
A family group connected through parents, children, and grandchildren over time.
Like the links in a chain, where each parent connects to the next child.
She comes from a long line of farmers.
The crown passed down the royal line for centuries.
UsageSay she comes from a long line of farmers.
Similarancestry, family, dynasty, descent, stock
15
nouncountable
A set of workers and machines that a product goes through, one step at a time, as it is made or packed.
My uncle works on the line at a car factory.
The cookies move down the line and drop into boxes at the end.
UsageSay someone works on the line in a factory.
16
ropenouncountable or uncountable
A rope, cord, or thread used to tie, hang, or pull things.
Like the string you use to fly a kite.
Hang the wet clothes on the line outside.
He pulled the fish in with a strong line.
UsageSay hang clothes on the line to dry.
Similarrope, cord, string, cable, twine
17
nouncountable
A hose or pipe of any size that carries a liquid or gas.
The plumber fixed a leak in the water line under the kitchen sink.
The mechanic said a brake line on my car was cracked.
UsageSay water line or gas line.
Similarpipe, hose
Note
18
directionnouncountable
The direction or path that something moves in.
Like the path an arrow takes through the air.
The ball traveled in a straight line toward the goal.
Follow the line of the river until you reach the bridge.
UsageSay something moves in a straight line.
Similarcourse, direction, path, route, track
Note
19
melody partnouncountable
A set of notes that make up one part of a piece of music, like the tune or the bass.
Like one singer's part in a choir, sung along with the others.
He played the bass line on his guitar.
He played the bass line over and over.
UsageSay the bass line or the melody line.
Similarpart, melody, voice
Note
20
nouncountable
The official position that a group or leader takes on something.
The party stuck to its line on the new tax.
She refused to follow the official line at the meeting.
UsageTo toe the party line is to follow your party’s official position.
Similarposition, stance, policy

Less common meanings

21
wrinklenouncountable
A thin crease or wrinkle on the skin, like the ones on your face or hands.
Like the small cracks that appear on dry ground.
Deep lines formed around his eyes when he smiled.
She has a long line across her palm.
UsageSay lines around the eyes or on the forehead.
Similarwrinkle, crease, furrow
22
short letternouncountable
A short written message or letter sent to someone.
Drop me a line when you get home safely.
She sent a line to thank her grandmother for the gift.
UsageSay drop me a line to ask someone to write or message you.
Similarnote, letter, epistle
23
nouncountable
A wire, or a group of wires on poles or under the ground, that carries electricity from place to place.
A tree fell on the line, and our street lost power.
Workers are putting up new lines to bring electricity to the village.
UsageSay power lines for the wires that carry electricity.
Similarcable, wire
24
nouncountable
In math, a perfectly straight path that goes on forever in both directions.
Like a perfectly straight road that never ends in either direction.
A line has no end and goes on forever.
In math, two straight lines can cross at only one point.
Note
25
verbtransitive
To draw a line or lines on something, or to cover it with lines.
Use a ruler to line the blank page before you write on it.
Years of worry had lined his forehead.
UsageLined paper has lines on it.
Similarrule
Note
26
soccer goalnouncountable
The mark across the field that a ball must fully cross to score a goal.
Like the finish line in a race, but here the whole ball must cross it.
The ball crossed the line just before the keeper grabbed it.
The referee checked whether the ball had fully crossed the line.
UsageSay the ball crossed the line for a goal.
Note
27
nouncountable
A deal with a bank that lets you borrow money whenever you need it, up to a set amount.
We opened a line of credit at our bank so we can borrow up to ten thousand dollars.
She used her credit line to pay for the new roof and plans to pay it back by summer.
UsageSay a line of credit at a bank.
Similarfacility
28
nouncountable
The point that separates two things, especially the point where behavior stops being acceptable or allowed.
Joking is fine, but calling people names crosses the line.
Sometimes the line between a hobby and a job is hard to see.
UsageSay something crosses the line when it goes too far.
Similarboundary
29
nounUScountableus
The numbers a betting company sets to show who should win a sports game and by how much.
The line has the Bears winning by three points on Sunday.
The line moved a lot after the star player got hurt.
Similarspread, odds
Note
30
IV tubenouncolloquialcountable
A thin tube put into a blood vessel to give medicine or fluids, or to take blood.
Like a tiny straw that carries medicine straight into the body.
The nurse put a line into his arm before surgery.
Doctors used the line to give her fluids quickly.
Similarcatheter, cannula
Note
31
drug dosenouncolloquialcountable
A thin strip of a powdered drug, especially cocaine, laid out to be breathed in through the nose.
He cut a line of cocaine on the table.
Police found several lines laid out in the apartment.
32
nouncountable
An untrue story told to impress someone or keep them happy with you.
Like a made-up story you tell so you won't get in trouble.
Don't give me that line about losing your phone again.
She saw through his line right away.
UsageSay don't give me that line when you don't believe an excuse.
Similarstory, lie, spiel, fib
Note
33
latitudenouncountable
A mark on a map showing latitude or longitude.
Like the squares on graph paper that help you find an exact spot.
The equator is the line that circles the middle of the Earth.
On a globe, the equator is the line around the middle.
Note
34
music staffnouncountable
One of the straight, level marks on a music staff where notes are written.
Like the level rows on lined paper where you write your letters.
The note sat right on the top line of the staff.
He drew five lines before writing the music.
Note
35
noun
A group of cells grown in a lab and kept alive and dividing for a long time.
36
nouncolloquial
A straight piece between two points.
37
noun
A link between two points in a graph.
38
noun
The imaginary circle around the middle of the earth.
39
noun
The left or right direction of a bowled cricket ball compared with the stumps.
40
noun
The path a car takes around a corner.
41
noun
A rope for hanging clothes to dry.
42
nounobsolete
A string used to measure things.
43
noun
A piece of measured land, or the place given to someone to live.
44
noun
The shape of a body or face.
45
noun
Ships or soldiers set out in a row for battle.
46
noun
The ordinary foot soldiers of an army.
47
nounslang
Information about something, mostly in phrases like "get a line on".
48
noun
A block of company shares bought by a dealer to sell on.
49
noun
An old small unit of length that changed from place to place.
50
noun
An old Russian unit, about a tenth of an inch, mostly for the inside width of gun barrels.
51
noun
A tiny unit of length, 1/12 of an inch, about 2 millimeters.
52
noun
A tiny unit of length, 1/16 of an inch, about 1.6 millimeters.
53
noun
A unit of length, 1/40 of an inch.
54
noun
A unit of newspaper ad space, one column wide and 1/14 of an inch high.
55
noun
A former name for the maxwell, a measure of how much magnetism flows through an area.
56
nounslang
The place where the batter stands.
57
noun
The way fencers place their blades.
58
noun
The correct position of machine parts so that they work smoothly together.
59
nounobsolete
Teaching.
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
60
noun
The set of tubes used for an IV drip.
61
noun
Three attackers who go on the ice together as a team unit.
62
noun
A group of three playing positions in Australian rules football.
63
verb
To put people or things along something to protect or strengthen it.
64
verb
To set track switches for a train.
65
verbobsolete
To draw something with lines.
All the pictures fairest lined Are but black to Rosalind.
1598, William Shakespeare, As You Like It
66
verbdated
To say a text aloud one line at a time.
67
verb
To hit a baseball hard and flat through the air, or be out when it is caught.
68
verb
To follow bees to find their nest.
69
verb
To find how long or big something is.
70
noun
People born in the same year.
71
nounobsolete
The flax plant, or cloth woven from it.
72
noun
The long fibers taken from flax plants, sorted from the short ones.
73
verb
To put money or things into something, like your pockets.
74
verbarchaic
To mate with a female animal or make her pregnant, used mostly of dogs.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of line apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–8, 10–34

From Old English līne meaning "rope, cord, line," which came from older Germanic and Indo-European words for flax. Its oldest meaning was "rope" or "thread," and later gave the senses "path" and "mark."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

English line derives from Old English līne, meaning rope, cord or line. en.wiktionary.org
The Old English word derives from older Germanic and Indo-European words for flax. en.wiktionary.org
The oldest meaning was rope or thread, from which the senses path and mark developed. en.wiktionary.org

Meaning 9

From Old English līn, meaning "flax, linen, or cloth."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

This sense of line derives from Old English līn, meaning flax, linen, or cloth. en.wiktionary.org