line
lyn
Line (noun) means a long, thin mark or stroke, straight or curved, on a surface. Example: “He drew a line across the page to separate the two sections.”
noun
1
A long, thin mark or stroke, straight or curved, on a surface.
"He drew a line across the page to separate the two sections."
"Use a ruler to draw a straight line under the title."
"A faint pencil line showed where the carpenter planned to cut."
2
A row or sequence of people, things, or words, one after another.
"We stood in line for nearly an hour."
"Read me the next line of the poem."
"A long line of cars waited to get onto the ferry."
3
A telephone or other communication connection.
"The line went dead in the middle of the call."
"Sorry, the line is bad, so could you repeat that, please?"
"Please hold the line while I transfer you to another department."
verb
1
To arrange people or things in a row, or to form such a row.
"The children lined up outside the classroom."
"She lined the books up neatly along the shelf by height."
"Fans began to line the streets hours before the parade started."
2
To cover the inside surface of something with a layer of material.
"The jacket is lined with fleece for warmth."
"I always line the cake tin with baking paper before pouring in the mixture."
"The birds line their nest with soft feathers and moss."
How to use line
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA very flexible word covering marks, rows of people or things, telephone connections, and the fabric-covering sense (to line a jacket).
Easily confused with
Common pairings
stand in line
draw a line
line the pockets
on the line
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Word forms
- Plural
- lines
- Third person singular
- lines
- Past tense
- lined
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
He drew a _____ across the page to separate the two sections.
Etymology
From Old English line ("rope, row, series"), itself from a Germanic root connected to flax and linen — the oldest sense was literally "cord" or "thread", from which "row" and "mark" later developed.
Related words
Rhymes for line
See all rhymes for line →Frequently asked questions
What does “line” mean?
The word “line” means a long, thin mark or stroke, straight or curved, on a surface. In plain terms, a very flexible word covering marks, rows of people or things, telephone connections, and the fabric-covering sense (to line a jacket).
How do you pronounce “line”?
“Line” is pronounced lyn (/laɪn/ in IPA).
How do you use “line” in a sentence?
Here is “line” used in a sentence: “He drew a line across the page to separate the two sections.”
What part of speech is “line”?
Depending on how it is used, “line” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “line” come from?
The word “line” comes from Old English. From Old English line ("rope, row, series"), itself from a Germanic root connected to flax and linen — the oldest sense was literally "cord" or "thread", from which "row" and "mark" later developed.
Is “line” a common word?
“Line” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “line” have?
“Line” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a long, thin mark or stroke, straight or curved, on a surface.
What are the main types of lines?
Common types include straight, curved, horizontal, vertical, diagonal, and zigzag lines. Lines can also be described by style — solid, dotted, dashed, or wavy — or by relationship, such as parallel lines that never meet and perpendicular lines that cross at right angles.
What is the difference between a line and a line segment?
In geometry, a line extends infinitely in both directions and has no endpoints, usually drawn with arrows. A line segment is a finite piece of a line with two definite endpoints and a measurable length. Everyday marks on paper are really segments, though we call them lines.
What is the difference between a line and a ray?
A line stretches infinitely in both directions, while a ray has one fixed endpoint and extends infinitely in only one direction — like a beam of light from its source. A line segment, by contrast, has two endpoints. All three are basic building blocks of geometry.
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