multilineadj.n.
/ˈmʌltɪlʌɪn/, U.S. /ˌməltiˈlaɪn/; see also multi- comb. form. A. adj.
Having or dealing in a number of lines: spec. (a) Biology (of a crop variety) comprising a number of lines, each with different genes for disease resistance; (b) (of an insurance company) operating in several different fields.
ΚΠ
1941 Jrnl. Amer. Statist. Assoc. 36 362 This schedule may possibly be made up in the form of a separate sheet for each household, in place of the traditional multiline sheet with a line assigned to each person or each housing unit.
1969 Ann. Rev. Phytopathol. 7 365 A multiline cultivar contains several individual lines each containing a different VR gene.
1978 Detroit Free Press 5 Mar. c14/3 (advt.) Qualified individual with..1 to 3 years experience in multi line insurance loss prevention.
1985 Personal Computer World Feb. 169/3 Both single and multi-line functions can be constructed.
1990 Industry Week 7 May 42/2 Multiline fax processors that transmit more than one document..simultaneously.
1992 Wall St. Jrnl. 25 Nov. a2/2 Owner of a multiline auto dealership in Fort Worth.
B. n. Biology.
A multiline variety of a crop.
ΚΠ
1968 J. E. van der Plank Dis. Resistance in Plants iv. 99 A multiline is grown by mixing seed of several components lines.
1976 Nature 27 May 278/2 The complete turn-away from crop uniformity by employing mixed varieties or multi-lines, which are heterogeneous for disease resistance.
1998 Internat. Jrnl. Plant Sci. 159 89/2 Multilines containing different resistance genes could be formulated to combat local pathogen or pest populations.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, March 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.n.1941