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Noun: line  lIn
  1. A mark that is long relative to its width
    "He drew a line on the chart"
     
  2. A formation of people or things one beside another
    "the line of soldiers advanced with their bayonets fixed"; "they were arrayed in line of battle"; "the cast stood in line for the curtain call"
     
  3. A formation of people or things one behind another
    "the line stretched clear around the corner"; "you must wait in a long line at the checkout counter"
     
  4. A length (straight or curved) without breadth or thickness; the trace of a moving point
     
  5. Text consisting of a row of words written across a page or computer screen
    "the letter consisted of three short lines"; "there are six lines in every stanza"
     
  6. A single frequency (or very narrow band) of radiation in a spectrum
     
  7. (military) a fortified position (especially one marking the most forward position of troops)
    "they attacked the enemy's line"
     
  8. A course of reasoning aimed at demonstrating a truth or falsehood; the methodical process of logical reasoning
    "I can't follow your line of reasoning";
    - argumentation, logical argument, argument, line of reasoning
     
  9. A conductor for transmitting electrical or optical signals or electric power
    - cable, transmission line
     
  10. A connected series of events, actions or developments
    "historians can only point out those lines for which evidence is available";
    - course
     
  11. A spatial location defined by a real or imaginary unidimensional extent
     
  12. A slight depression or fold in the smoothness of a surface
    "his face has many lines";
    - wrinkle, furrow, crease, crinkle, seam
     
  13. A pipe used to transport liquids or gases
    "a line runs from the wells to the seaport";
    - pipeline
     
  14. The road consisting of railway track and roadbed
    - railway line [Brit, Cdn], rail line, railroad line [N. Amer]
     
  15. A telephone connection
    - telephone line, phone line, telephone circuit, subscriber line
     
  16. Acting in conformity
    "in line with"; "he got out of line"; "toe the line"
     
  17. The hereditary derivation of an individual
    "his entire line has been warriors";
    - lineage, line of descent, descent, bloodline, blood line, blood, pedigree, ancestry, origin, parentage, stemma, stock
     
  18. Something (as a cord or rope) that is long and thin and flexible
    "a washing line"
     
  19. What someone normally does to earn money; a person's profession, work, or trade
    "he's not in my line of business";
    - occupation, business, job, line of work
     
  20. In games or sports; a mark indicating positions or bounds of the playing area
     
  21. (often plural) a means of communication or access
    "lines of communication were set up between the two firms";
    - channel, communication channel
     
  22. A particular kind of product or merchandise
    "a nice line of shoes"; "a nice product line of shoes";
    - product line, line of products, line of merchandise, business line, line of business
     
  23. A commercial organization serving as a common carrier
     
  24. Space for one line of print (one column wide and 1/14 inch deep) used to measure advertising
    - agate line
     
  25. The maximum credit that a customer is allowed
    - credit line, line of credit, bank line, personal credit line, personal line of credit
     
  26. A succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
    "she was humming a melodic line from Beethoven";
    - tune, melody, air, strain, melodic line, melodic phrase
     
  27. Persuasive but insincere talk that is usually intended to deceive or impress
    "'let me show you my etchings' is a rather worn line"; "he has a smooth line but I didn't fall for it"; "that salesman must have practised his fast line of talk"
     
  28. A short personal letter
    "drop me a line when you get there";
    - note, short letter, billet
     
  29. A conceptual separation or distinction
    "there is a narrow line between sanity and insanity";
    - dividing line, demarcation, contrast
     
  30. Mechanical system in a factory whereby an article is conveyed through sites at which successive operations are performed on it
    - production line, assembly line
     
  31. [N. Amer] A line of people or vehicles waiting for something
    - queue, waiting line [N. Amer]
     
  32. [slang] Powdered narcotic laid out in a line for snorting
    "snort a line"
Verb: line  lIn
  1. Be in line with; form a line along
    "trees line the riverbank";
    - run along
     
  2. Cover the interior of
    "line the gloves"; "line a chimney"
     
  3. Make a mark or lines on a surface
    "draw a line";
    - trace, draw, describe, delineate
     
  4. Mark with lines
    "sorrow had lined his face"
     
  5. Fill plentifully
    "line one's pockets"
     
  6. Reinforce with fabric
    "lined books are more enduring"

Derived forms: lining, lined, lines

Type of: abidance, abstract thought, activity, area unit, artefact [Brit], artifact [N. Amer], carrier, common carrier, communicating, communication, compliance, conductor, conformation, conformity, connecter, connection, connective, connector, connexion [Brit], cover, credit, depression, differentiation, distinction, electromagnetic radiation, electromagnetic wave, family tree, fill, fill up, form, formation, genealogy, impression, imprint, lie, location, logical thinking, mark, mechanical system, merchandise, military position, music, nock, nonparticulate radiation, personal letter, persuasion, pipage, pipe, piping, position, print, product, reasoning, reenforce, reinforce, road, route, score, series, shape, square measure, suasion [rare], text, textual matter, ware

Part of: cable, cable system, cable television, cable television service, cutis, electromagnetic spectrum, factory, letter, manufactory, manufacturing plant, mill, missive, phone system, skin, stanza, tegument, telephone system, transit, transportation, transportation system

Encyclopedia: Line, Saint Anne