line noun
1 long thin mark on the surface of sth
ADJ. long | short | thick | fine, thin | direct, straight | curved, wavy, wiggly, zigzag | diagonal, horizontal, parallel, perpendicular, vertical | continuous, solid | broken, dotted Sign on the dotted line. | finishing, starting | contour
VERB + LINE draw
LINE + VERB run | divide sth
PREP. in a ~ walk in a straight line
PHRASES a line of latitude/longitude
2 mark like a line on the skin
ADJ. deep Deep lines ran from her nose to her mouth.
VERB + LINE have He has lines on his forehead.
LINE + VERB run
3 row of people, things, words on a page, etc.
ADJ. long | short | new | continuous
VERB + LINE form
PREP. in (a/the) ~ children standing in a line | on a/the ~ Start each paragraph on a new line.
4 telephone/electricity wire/connection
ADJ. direct | bad Speak up?it's rather a bad line. | busy | power | phone, telephone | outside, party, private What do I dial for an outside line?
VERB + LINE hold Hold the line (= Don't put the receiver down), please.
LINE + VERB be engaged | be/go dead
PREP. down the ~ He kept shouting down the line at me. | on the ~ It's your mother on the line (= on the telephone). | on ~ (also online) (= connected to a computer system)
5 section of railway track
ADJ. railway, train | main | branch, commuter, feeder The branch line is threatened with closure.
VERB + LINE take Take the Bakerloo line and change at Piccadilly.
PREP. on a/the ~ We live on the Northern Line.
PHRASES the end of the line 6 lines words spoken by an actor in a play
VERB + LINE learn | forget | fluff
7 direction/course of thought/action
ADJ. broad The broad lines of company policy are already laid down. | firm, hard, strong, tough | official, party, political
VERB + LINE adopt, follow, pursue, take | bring sb/sth into The other members of the board must be brought into line.
PREP. in ~ with (= in agreement with), out of ~ with (= not in agreement with) out of line with party policies | ~ on the official line on food safety
PHRASES a line of argument/enquiry/questioning
8 place where an army is fighting
ADJ. battle, firing, front
PHRASES behind enemy lines, in/on the front line