mainlinern.
/ˈmeɪnlʌɪnə/, U.S. /ˈmeɪnˌlaɪnər/ slang (originally U.S.).
A person who injects heroin or a similar drug intravenously, esp. illicitly.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > use of drugs and poison > [noun] > drug-user > by injection
mainliner1934
skin-popper1951
1934 Detective Fiction Weekly 21 Apr. 113/2 The addict who shoots stuff into the veins is said to be a gutter, or mainliner.
1950 R. Chandler Let. 18 May in R. Chandler Speaking (1966) 79 I don't think any writer could think up an expression like ‘mainliner’ for a narcotic addict who shoots the stuff into a vein.
1970 N. Marsh When in Rome v. 126 The big leap. Pothead to main-liner.
1991 New Scientist 2 Nov. 25/1 Most of those who accept that Indians have AIDS too, think only gay men, prostitutes and heroin mainliners are at risk.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2000; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1934- to be hip to something
- to be hipped on
- to be hitting on all four or six
- to be hitting on all four or six cylinders
- to be hold oneself still
- to be holden
- to be holed below the waterline
- to be home to
- to be homeward
- to be homewards
- to be honest
- to be hopping
- to be hot for
- to be hung higher than gilderoy's kite
- to be hung on in the hedge
- to be hung on the hedge
- to be ideally suited
- to be ill served
- to be ill set
- to be in a bad row of stumps
- to be in a fair way of
- to be in a fair way to
- to be in a fair way to do something
- to be in a fidge
- to be in a hat