line
English · Français · Thesaurus
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
line¹
- /laɪn/ Canada, US, UK
- /lɑen/ Australia
- [lɑe̯n] New Zealand
- /lʌɪn/ Scotland
Rhymes with -aɪn
Where it comes from
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 lines
- 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.
-
An infinitely extending one-dimensional figure that has no curvature; one that has length but not breadth or thickness.
Similar: straight line
-
A line segment; a continuous finite segment of such a figure.
Similar: line segment
- An edge of a graph.
- A circle of latitude or of longitude, as represented on a map.
- The equator.
- One of the straight horizontal and parallel prolonged strokes on and between which the notes are placed.
- The horizontal path of a ball towards the batsman (see also length).
- The goal line. 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.
- A particular path taken by a vehicle when driving a bend or corner in the road. "I guess it's like race cars - if you get the right line you can come out at top speed."
- A rope, cord, string, thread, or cable, of any thickness.
- A hose, tube, or pipe, of any size. a brake line
- Direction, path. the line of sight
- 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
- 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 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.
- A short letter, a written form of communication. Drop me a line.
- 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
- A trench or rampart, or the non-physical demarcation of the extent of the territory occupied by specified forces.
- The exterior limit of a figure or territory: a boundary, contour, or outline; a demarcation. Eden stretch'd her Line / From Auran Eastward to the Royal Towrs / Of great Seleucia,
- A conceptual division or distinction. fine line
- A long tape or ribbon marked with units for measuring; a tape measure.
- A measuring line or cord. 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.
- That which was measured by a line, such as a field or any piece of land set apart; hence, allotted place of abode. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
- A threadlike crease or wrinkle marking the face, hand, or body; hence, a characteristic mark.
- Lineament; feature; figure (of one's body).
- 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
- Ellipsis of line of battle
- The regular infantry of an army, as distinguished from militia, guards, volunteer corps, cavalry, artillery, etc.
- A series of notes forming a certain part (such as the bass or melody) of a greater work. Students and the instructor sing the harmony line while the instructor plays the melody line on the piano.
- A series or succession of ancestors or descendants of a given person; a family or race; compare lineage.
-
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.
Similar: row
- A verse (in poetry). Nay if you read this line, remember not, / The hand that writ it.
- A sentence of dialogue, especially in a play, movie, or the like. He was perfecting his pickup lines for use at the bar.
- A lie, exaggeration, or spin, especially one said to gain another's approval or prevent losing it. Don't feed me a line!
- Ellipsis of pick-up line
- Course of conduct, thought, occupation, or policy; method of argument; department of industry, trade, or intellectual activity. He [Mackintosh] is uncommonly powerful in his own line; but it is not the line of a first-rate man.
- 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.
- Information about or understanding of something. (Mostly restricted to the expressions get a line on, have a line on, and give a line on.) Judy gave me a line on a lawyer who's supposed to be the best in the business.
- A set of products or services sold by a business, or by extension, the business itself. line of business, product line
- A number of shares taken by a jobber.
- 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 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...
- A tsarist-era Russian unit of measure, approximately equal to one tenth of an English inch, used especially when measuring the calibre of firearms.
- One twelfth of an inch. 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).
- One sixteenth of an inch.
- One fortieth of an inch. 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[…].
- Ellipsis of agate line (one fourteenth of an inch). 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.
- A maxwell, a unit of magnetic flux.
- The batter's box.
-
The position in which the fencers hold their swords.
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
Similar: line of engagement
- 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
- A portion or serving of a powdery recreational drug, especially cocaine, formed into a line on a flat surface in preparation for snorting. I watched him take a line of cocaine.
- Instruction; doctrine. 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.
- A population of cells derived from a single cell and containing the same genetic makeup.
- a set composed of a spike, a drip chamber, a clamp, a Y-injection site, a three-way stopcock and a catheter.
- A group of forwards that play together.
- 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.
- A vascular catheter. patient had a line inserted
interjection
- Expresses that the speaker has forgotten their dialogue and needs to be prompted with it.
verb lines · lining · lined
- To place (objects) into a line (usually used with "up"); to form into a line; to align. to line troops
- To place persons or things along the side of for security or defense; to strengthen by adding; to fortify. to line works with soldiers
- To form a line along.
- To mark with a line or lines; to cover with lines. to line a copy book
- 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.
- To represent by lines; to delineate; to portray. All the pictures fairest lined Are but black to Rosalind.
- To read or repeat line by line. to line out a hymn
- To hit a line drive; to hit a line drive which is caught for an out. Compare fly and ground. Jones lined to left in his last at-bat.
- To track (wild bees) to their nest by following their line of flight.
- To measure.
line²
- /laɪn/ Canada, US, UK
- /lɑen/ Australia
- [lɑe̯n] New Zealand
- /lʌɪn/ Scotland
Rhymes with -aɪn
Where it 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 lines
- A group of people born in a certain year (liners). maknae line; hyung line; 97 line
line³
- /laɪn/ Canada, US, UK
- /lɑen/ Australia
- [lɑe̯n] New Zealand
- /lʌɪn/ Scotland
Rhymes with -aɪn
Where it comes from
From Old English līn (“flax, linen, cloth”). For more information, see the entry linen.
noun lin · lyne
- Flax, linen.
- The longer fiber(s) of flax.
verb lines · lining · lined · lin · lyne
- To cover the inner surface of (something), originally especially with linen. to line a cloak with silk or fur
- To fill or supply (something), as a purse with money. to line the shelves
line⁴
- /laɪn/ Canada, US, UK
- /lɑen/ Australia
- [lɑe̯n] New Zealand
- /lʌɪn/ Scotland
Rhymes with -aɪn
Where it comes from
Borrowed from Middle French ligner.
verb lines · lining · lined
- To copulate with, to impregnate.
Line⁵
Where it comes from
From the Middle English surname, derived from the Anglo-Norman suffix -line found in names such as Adeline and Madeline.
proper noun
- An English and Scottish surname.
LINE⁶
noun LINEs
- Acronym of long interspersed nuclear element, a type of retrotransposon in genomics.
- A close quarters combat system, see LINE (combat system) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: outline, dividing line, agate line, delineate, telephone line, draw, transmission line, credit line, phone line, note, assembly line, production line, describe, demarcation, product line, business
Translations
Every language
noun rope, cord, or string
| Español | hilo, línea |
|---|---|
| हिन्दी | रस्सी rassī, डोरी ḍorī |
| Kiswahili | mstari |
| Português | fio, linha |
| Deutsch | Leine |
| Italiano | corda, fune, cima |
| Ελληνικά | σπάγκος spágkos |
| Română | funie, frânghie, sfoară, șnur, ață |
| Русский | верёвка verjóvka, шнур šnur, линь linʹ, ле́ска léska |
noun path through two or more points, threadlike mark
| Español | línea, rasgo, trazo, vírgula |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 줄 jul, 선 seon, 라인 rain |
| 日本語 | 線 sen, ライン rain |
| 中文 | 直線 /直线 zhíxiàn, 線 /线 xiàn |
| हिन्दी | रेखा rekhā |
| Kiswahili | mstari |
| Português | linha, risco, traço |
| Français | ligne, trait |
| Deutsch | Linie |
| Italiano | linea, riga |
| Ελληνικά | γραμμή grammí |
| Русский | ли́ния línija, черта́ čertá, штрих štrix |
| Tiếng Việt | đường |
| العربية | خَطّ ḵaṭṭ |
| עברית | קַו kav |
noun straight sequence of people, queue
| Español | fila, hilera, cola |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 列 retsu |
| 中文 | 排隊 /排队 páiduì |
| हिन्दी | पंक्ति paṅkti |
| Kiswahili | mstari |
| Português | fila, linha, fileira |
| Français | file, queue |
| Deutsch | Schlange, Reihe |
| Italiano | coda, fila, linea |
| Ελληνικά | ουρά ourá |
| Română | coadă |
| Русский | о́чередь óčeredʹ, шере́нга šerénga |
| Tiếng Việt | hàng |
| العربية | صَفّ ṣaff |
| עברית | תּוֹר tor, שׁוּרָה shurá |
noun single horizontal row of text on a screen, printed paper, etc.
| Español | renglón, línea |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 행 haeng |
| 日本語 | 行 gyō |
| 中文 | 行 háng |
| Kiswahili | mstari |
| Português | linha |
| Français | ligne |
| Deutsch | Zeile |
| Italiano | riga |
| Ελληνικά | γραμμή grammí |
| Русский | строка́ stroká, стро́чка stróčka |
| Tiếng Việt | dòng, hàng |
| العربية | سَطْر saṭr, خَطّ ḵaṭṭ |
| עברית | שׁוּרָה shurá |
noun measure of length, the main division of an inch or its local equivalent
| Español | línea |
|---|---|
| Kiswahili | mstari |
| Português | linha |
| Deutsch | Linie |
| Русский | ли́ния línija |
noun geometry: infinite one-dimensional figure
| Español | recta |
|---|---|
| हिन्दी | रेखा rekhā, सरल रेखा saral rekhā |
| Kiswahili | mstari |
| Português | reta |
| Français | droite |
| Deutsch | Gerade |
| Italiano | linea |
| Ελληνικά | γραμμή grammí |
| Română | dreaptă, linie deaptă |
| Русский | пряма́я prjamája, ли́ния línija |
noun geometry: continuous finite segment of such a figure
| Kiswahili | mstari |
|---|---|
| Português | segmento |
| Deutsch | Strecke |
| Italiano | segmento |
| Ελληνικά | γραμμή grammí, ευθύγραμμο τμήμα efthýgrammo tmíma |
| Română | segment (de dreaptă) |
| Русский | отре́зок otrézok |
noun graph theory: edge of a graph
| Español | línea |
|---|---|
| Kiswahili | mstari |
| Português | aresta, arco |
| Deutsch | Kante |
| Italiano | linea, riga, bordo |
| Română | muchie, cant |
| Русский | ребро́ rebró |
noun geography: circle of latitude or of longitude, as represented on a map
| Kiswahili | mstari |
|---|---|
| Português | linha |
| Deutsch | Breitenkreis, Längenkreis |
| Italiano | meridiana, meridiano |
| Română | latitudine, longitudine |
| Русский | ли́ния línija |
noun music: one of the straight horizontal and parallel prolonged strokes on and between which the notes are placed
| Español | línea |
|---|---|
| Kiswahili | mstari |
| Português | linha |
| Deutsch | Linie, Taktstrich |
| Italiano | linea |
| Ελληνικά | γραμμή grammí |
| Română | linie de portativ |
| Русский | лине́йка linéjka |
noun direction, path
| Kiswahili | mstari |
|---|---|
| Português | caminho |
| Română | direcție, linie directoare |
| Русский | направле́ние napravlénije |
noun telephone or network connection
| Español | línea |
|---|---|
| Kiswahili | mstari |
| Português | linha |
| Français | ligne |
| Deutsch | Leitung |
| Italiano | linea |
| Ελληνικά | γραμμή grammí |
| Română | linie |
| Русский | ли́ния свя́зи línija svjázi, ли́ния línija |
| العربية | خَطّ ḵaṭṭ |
| עברית | קַו kav |
noun connected series of public conveyances, and hence, an established arrangement for forwarding merchandise, etc.
| Español | línea |
|---|---|
| Kiswahili | mstari |
| Italiano | linea |
| עברית | קַו kav |
noun exterior limit of a figure, plat, or territory; boundary; contour; outline
| Kiswahili | mstari |
|---|---|
| Português | contorno |
| Italiano | confine, contorno |
| Русский | грани́ца graníca, черта́ čertá |
noun long tape, or a narrow ribbon of steel, etc., marked with subdivisions, as feet and inches, for measuring; a tapeline
| Español | cinta métrica |
|---|---|
| Kiswahili | mstari |
| Português | fita |
| Italiano | corda, gomena, sagola |
| Română | metru (de măsură) |
| Русский | сантиме́тр santimétr, руле́тка rulétka |
noun bible: that which was measured by a line, as a field or any piece of land set apart
| Kiswahili | mstari |
|---|---|
| Italiano | partizione |
noun threadlike crease marking the face or the hand; hence, characteristic mark — see also wrinkle
| Español | línea |
|---|---|
| Kiswahili | mstari |
| Português | linha |
| Français | ride |
| Deutsch | Falte |
| Italiano | linea, ruga |
| Русский | морщи́на morščína, ли́ния línija |
| עברית | קַו kav |
noun lineament; feature; figure
| Español | lineamento, lineamiento |
|---|---|
| Kiswahili | mstari |
| Italiano | lineamento |
| Русский | черта́ čertá |
noun military: regular infantry of an army
| Kiswahili | mstari |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Linieninfanterie |
| Italiano | fanteria d'assalto, reggimento |
| Ελληνικά | πεζικό pezikó |
| Русский | лине́йная пехо́та linéjnaja pexóta |
noun series or succession of ancestors or descendants of a given person
| Español | línea |
|---|---|
| Kiswahili | mstari |
| Português | linhagem |
| Français | lignée |
| Italiano | stirpe, discendenza, linea di parentela, lignaggio |
| Ελληνικά | καταγωγή katagogí |
| Русский | ли́ния línija, насле́дственная ли́ния naslédstvennaja línija |
noun poetic: verse
| Kiswahili | mstari |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Zeile |
| Italiano | verso |
| Ελληνικά | στίχος stíchos |
| Русский | строфа́ strofá |
noun sentence of dialogue, especially in a script or screenplay
| Español | labia, frase ganadora |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 台詞 serifu |
| 中文 | 臺詞 /台詞 /台词 táicí |
| Kiswahili | mstari |
| Português | fala |
| Français | réplique |
| Deutsch | Zeile |
| Italiano | verso, riga, battuta |
| Română | replică |
| Русский | ре́плика réplika, слова́ slová |
noun course of conduct, thought, occupation, or policy
| Kiswahili | mstari |
|---|---|
| Français | ligne de conduite |
| Italiano | linea di condotta, comportamento |
| Русский | курс kurs |
noun official, stated position of an individual or political faction
| Kiswahili | mstari |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Linie, Parteilinie |
| Italiano | linea, posizione |
| Ελληνικά | γραμμή grammí |
| Русский | ли́ния línija, курс kurs |
noun products or services sold by a business, or the business itself
| Kiswahili | mstari |
|---|---|
| Français | ligne |
| Deutsch | Linie |
| Italiano | linea, ramo, gamma |
| Русский | ли́ния línija, лине́йка linéjka |
| עברית | קַו qav |
noun stock exchange: number of shares taken by a jobber
| Kiswahili | mstari |
|---|
noun baseball: batter’s box
| Kiswahili | mstari |
|---|
noun fencing: position in which the fencers hold their swords
| Kiswahili | mstari |
|---|
noun population of cells derived from a single cell and containing the same genetic makeup
| Español | línea |
|---|---|
| Português | linhagem |
| Français | lignée |
| Italiano | linea |
| Русский | ли́ния línija |
verb to place (objects) into a line
| 日本語 | 並べる naraberu |
|---|---|
| Kiswahili | mstari |
| Português | enfileirar |
| Italiano | allineare |
| Русский | выстра́ивать vystráivatʹ, вы́строить výstroitʹ |
verb to place persons or things along the side of for security or defense
| Kiswahili | mstari |
|---|---|
| Русский | выстра́ивать vystráivatʹ, вы́строить výstroitʹ |
verb obsolete: to represent by lines; delineate; portray
| Kiswahili | mstari |
|---|
verb to read or repeat line by line
| Kiswahili | mstari |
|---|
Talk about this word "line." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/line. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026. line. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/line "line." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 5, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/line.
Cite this
MLA
APA
Chicago
BibTeX
@misc{line_2026,
title = {line},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/line},
urldate = {2026-11-05}
}
