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line noun [ lʌɪn ]

• a long, narrow mark or band.
• "a row of closely spaced dots will look like a continuous line"
Similar: dash, rule, bar, score, underline, underscore, stroke, slash, virgule, solidus, stripe, strip, band, streak, belt, striation, stria, oblique,
• a length of cord, rope, wire, or other material serving a particular purpose.
• "Lily pegged the washing on the line"
Similar: cord, rope, string, cable, wire, thread, twine, strand, filament, ligature,
• a horizontal row of written or printed words.
• "take the cursor up one line and press the delete key"
• a row of people or things.
• "a line of altar boys proceeded down the aisle"
• an area or branch of activity.
• "the stresses unique to their line of work"
Similar: line of work, line of business, business, field, trade, occupation, employment, profession, work, job, day job, calling, vocation, career, pursuit, activity, walk of life, specialty, forte, province, department, sphere, area, area of expertise, domain, realm, métier, line of country, game, thing, bag, pigeon, racket,
• a connected series of military fieldworks or defences facing an enemy force.
• "raids behind enemy lines"
Similar: position, formation, disposition, front, front line, firing line, trenches,

line verb

• stand or be positioned at intervals along.
• "a processional route lined by people waving flags"
Similar: border, edge, fringe, bound, skirt, hem, rim,
• mark or cover with lines.
• "deep wrinkles lined his face"
Similar: furrow, wrinkle, crease, mark with lines, cover with lines, crinkle, pucker, corrugate, ruled, feint, scored, striped, stripy, banded, streaked, striated, wrinkled, wrinkly, furrowed, creased, marked with lines, covered with lines, crinkled, wizened, leathery, worn, puckered, grooved, corrugated, scarred,
Opposite: plain, blank, smooth,
Origin: Old English līne ‘rope, series’, probably of Germanic origin, from Latin linea (fibra) ‘flax (fibre)’, from Latin linum ‘flax’, reinforced in Middle English by Old French ligne, based on Latin linea .

line verb

• cover the inside surface of (a container or garment) with a layer of different material.
• "a basket lined with polythene"
Similar: cover, put a lining in, back, put a backing on, interline, face, panel, inlay, reinforce, encase, paper, decorate, stuff, fill, pack, pad, ceil, covered, backed, interlined, faced, panelled, inlaid, reinforced, encased, papered, decorated, stuffed, filled, packed, padded, ceiled,
Origin: late Middle English: from obsolete line ‘flax’, with reference to the common use of linen for linings.

in line

• under control.
• "that threat kept a lot of people in line"
Similar: under control, in order, in check, obedient, conforming with the rules,
• in a queue.
• "we stood in line at the counter"
Similar: in a row, in a column, in a file, in a queue,

above the line

• denoting or relating to money spent on items of current expenditure.
"£75 million charges taken above the line for redundancies and property write-offs"

all down the line

• at every point or stage.
"the mistakes were due to lack of care all down the line"

along the line

• at a further, later, or unspecified point.
"I knew that somewhere down the line there would be an inquest"

below the line

• denoting or relating to money spent on items of capital expenditure.
"a £4 million extraordinary charge below the line"

bring someone or something into line

• cause someone or something to conform.
"the change in the law will bring Britain into line with Europe"

come down to the line

• (of a race) be closely fought right until the end.

cross a line

• do something that is outside the bounds of acceptable behaviour.
"this article crossed a line and I am disgusted"

come into line

• conform.
"Britain has come into line with other Western democracies in giving the vote to its citizens living abroad"

do a line with

• have a regular romantic or sexual romantic relationship with (someone).
"I knew if I went home for Christmas I'd have to pretend I was doing a line with some man"

draw a line under

• resolve not to engage in further discussion or consideration of (a difficult or distressing issue or situation).
"we need to draw a line under this whole affair, not prolong it"

draw the line

• set a limit on what one is willing to do or accept.
"I draw the line at a pizza with anchovies on it"

the end of the line

• the point at which further effort is unproductive or one can go no further.

get a line on

• learn something about.
"the police had no difficulty getting a line on the man"

in line

• under control.
"that threat kept a lot of people in line"

in line for

• likely to receive.
"the club are in line for a windfall of three hundred thousand pounds"

in line with

• in alignment or accordance with.
"remuneration is in line with comparable international organizations"

in the line of duty

• while one is working (used mainly of police officers or soldiers).
"an inspector's funeral is given only for those killed in the line of duty"

lay it on the line

• speak frankly.
"I'm going to have to lay it on the line, tell them what really has been happening"

line in the sand

• a point beyond which one will not go; a limit to what one will do or accept.
"the banks drew a line in the sand : there was to be no additional help"

line abreast

• a formation in which a number of ships travel side by side.

line ahead

• a formation in which a number of ships follow one another in a line.

line astern

• a formation in which a number of aircraft or ships follow one another in a line.

line of communications

• a means of connection between an army in the field and its bases.

line of credit

• an amount of credit extended to a borrower.

line of fire

• the expected path of gunfire or a missile.
"residents within line of fire were evacuated from their homes"

line of flight

• a route taken through the air.

line of force

• an imaginary line which represents the strength and direction of a magnetic, gravitational, or electric field at any point.

line of march

• the route taken in marching.

line of sight

• a straight line along which an observer has unobstructed vision.
"a building which obstructs our line of sight"

line of vision

• the straight line along which an observer looks.
"Jimmy moved forward into Len's line of vision"

on the line

• at serious risk.
"their careers were on the line"

out of line

• behaving in a way that breaks the rules or is considered inappropriate.
"your remarks were really out of line"

out of line with

• not in alignment or accordance with.
"the ending introduces elements of fantasy and magic that are completely out of line with the rest of the narrative"

line out

• be caught out after hitting a line drive.

line up

• arrange a number of people or things in a straight row.
"an officer lined them up and gave them a short speech"

line one's pocket

• make money, especially by dishonest means.
"he had lined his pockets with office and campaign funds"

line one's stomach

• eat some food in preparation for a drinking session.
"it's always best to line the stomach before a night out"

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