Etymology

Noun

1. A rope, cord, string, or thread; a slender, strong cord, or a cord of any thickness; a hawser.

   Who so layeth lines for to latch fowls. — Piers Plowman

   fishing line, anchor line, clothesline, towline

2. A path through two or more points (see also segment), a continuous mark, including as made by a pen, pencil, or graver; any path.
   • 1816: Percy Shelley, The Daemon of the World

     The atmosphere in flaming sparkles flew; / And where the burning wheels / Eddied above the mountain’s loftiest peak / Was traced a line of lightning.

   a chalk line was drawn around the body

   The arrow descended in a curved line.

   The place is remote from lines of travel.

3. An infinitely extending one-dimensional figure that has no curvature; one that has length but not breadth or thickness.
4. A line segment; a continuous finite segment of such a figure.
5. A written or printed row of letters, words, numbers, or other text, especially a row of words extending across a page or column

   The answer to the comprehension question can be found in the third line of the accompanying text.

   In the preceding line Ulysses speaks of Nausicaa. — Broome

   1. by extension, a verse (in poetry)
   • 1609: Shakespeare, Sonnet 71

     Nay if you read this line, remember not, / The hand that writ it.

   1. by extension; such a line as read aloud:
   2. a sentence of dialogue, as in a screenplay.

   It’s a small part, I have 12 lines in the movie. — Geneveve Bujold in Earthquake

6. 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.

   Their line is gone out through all the earth. — Ps. xix. 4

7. A letter, a written form of communication.

   Drop me a line.

8. 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 dedicated line

   a shared line

   Please speak up, the line is very faint.

9. 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.

   The line forms on the right.

   There is a line of houses.

   • 1817: Percy Shelley, The Revolt of Islam

     A band of brothers gathering round me, made, / Although unarmed, a steadfast front, [...] now the line / Of war extended, to our rallying cry / As myriads flocked in love and brotherhood to die.

   Unite thy forces and attack their lines. — Dryden

10. The regular infantry of an army, as distinguished from militia, guards, volunteer corps, cavalry, artillery, etc.
11. A trench or rampart, or the non-physical demarcation of the extent of the territory occupied by specified armed forces.
    • 1917, John Masefield, The Old Front Line

      This description of the old front line, as it was when the Battle of the Somme began, may some day be of use. [...] It is hoped that this description of the line will be followed by an account of our people's share in the battle.

12. The products or services sold by a business, or by extension, the business itself.

    line of business, product line

    How many buses does the line have?

    The airline is in danger of bankruptcy.

    A ship of the line.

13. The position in which the fencers hold their swords.
14. An edge of a graph.
15. The horizontal path of a ball towards the batsman (see also length).
16. The batter’s box.
17. Flax; linen, particularly the longer fiber of flax.

    Garments made of line. — Spenser

18. Direction

    the line of sight or the line of vision

19. Course of conduct, thought, occupation, or policy; method of argument; department of industry, trade, or intellectual activity.

    He is uncommonly powerful in his own line, but it is not the line of a first-rate man. — Coleridge

20. The exterior limit of a figure, plat, or territory; a boundary; a contour; an outline; a demarcation.

    • 1674 — John Milton, Paradise Lost, book IV

      Eden stretchd her Line / From Auran Eastward to the Royal Towrs / Of great Seleucia,

21. A threadlike crease marking the face or the hand; hence, characteristic mark.

    Though on his brow were graven lines austere. — Byron

    He tipples palmistry, and dines On all her fortune-telling lines. — Cleveland

22. Lineament; feature; figure (of one's body).
    • c 1609: Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Cymbeline

      I mean, the lines of my body are as well drawn as his.

23. A series or succession of ancestors or descendants of a given person; a family or race; compare lineage.
    • 14th c: Geoffrey Chaucer The Canterbury Tales

      Of his lineage am I, and his offspring / By very line,

    • c 1604: Shakespeare, Macbeth

      They hail'd him father to a line of kings.

    • 1651: Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan

      [T]he rest of the history of the Old Testament derives the succession of the line of David to the Captivity, of which line was to spring the restorer of the kingdom of God [...]

24. A connected series of public conveyances, as a roadbed or railway track; and hence, an established arrangement for forwarding merchandise, etc.

    a line of stages

    an express line

25. A circle of latitude or of longitude, as represented on a map.
26. The equator.

    to cross the line

27. A long tape, or a narrow ribbon of steel, etc., marked with subdivisions, as feet and inches, for measuring; a tapeline.
28. That which was measured by a line, as a field or any piece of land set apart; hence, allotted place of abode.

    The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yes. I have a goodly heritage. — Ps. xvi. 6

29. The 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

30. One of the straight horizontal and parallel prolonged strokes on and between which the notes are placed.
31. A number of shares taken by a jobber.
32. A measure of length equal to one twelfth of an inch.
    • 1883: Alfred Swaine Taylor, Thomas Stevenson, The principles and practice of medical jurisprudence

      The cutis measures in thickness from a quarter of a line to a line and a half (a line is one-twelfth of an inch).

33. A hose.

Verb

1. To cover the inside/inner surface of (something).

   The bird lines its nest with soft grass.

   to line a cloak with silk or fur

   to line a box with paper or tin

2. To fill or supply (something), as a purse with money.

   The charge amounteth very high for any one man’s purse, except lined beyond ordinary, to reach unto. — Carew.

3. To place (objects) into a line (usually used with "up"); to form into a line; to align.

   to line troops

4. To place persons or things along the side of for security or defense; to strengthen by adding; to fortify.

   to line works with soldiers

   • 1599 — William Shakespeare, Henry V, ii 4

     Line and new repair our towns of war With men of courage and with means defendant.

5. To mark with a line or lines, to cover with lines.

   to line a copy book

6. To represent by lines; to delineate; to portray.

   • 1598 — William Shakespeare, As You Like It, iii 2

     All the pictures fairest lined Are but black to Rosalind.

7. To impregnate (applied to brute animals). — Creech.
8. To read or repeat line by line.

   to line out a hymn

9. To form or enter into a line.
10. 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.