line

noun

OPAL WOPAL S

/laɪn/

Idioms

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long thin mark

enlarge image

[countable] a long, thin mark on a surface

a straight/solid/dotted/dashed line
a wavy/diagonal line
a vertical/horizontal line
parallel lines
Draw a thick black line across the page.

see also bar line, dotted line, in-line, load line

Extra Examples

He wrote the title and drew a line under it.
She could draw a perfectly straight line.
He created his first strictly geometrical work, using only straight lines and circles.
a faint white line
Cut along the dotted line.
The outlines of the object beneath its cover are shown in dotted lines.
The old Roman road is indicated on the map by a dotted line.
This is indicated in sheet music by a long wavy line connecting the two staves.
The contour lines represent points of equal elevation.
The mural has white diagonal lines crisscrossing in all directions.
Red lines denote security updates and blue lines denote recommended updates.
a pattern of parallel wavy lines
Draw a chalk line on the container to record the level.
He traces a line in white paint along the wall.
The road has a double yellow line painted on the side indicating that you cannot park.
A red line marks where the wall stood.
The pencil line connects one box to another.
The watercolor strokes and the pencil lines run in the same direction.
She draws the paint out into thin, spidery lines.
The work shows thin black parallel lines crossing a field of white.
Dark areas are shaded with thin lines.
Why is there that faint vertical line on the screen?
Yellowish spots form a line down the middle of the caterpillar's back.

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

long
short
thick
…

verb + line

draw
mark

line + verb

run
divide something
separate something
…

preposition

in a line

phrases

a line of latitude
a line of longitude

See full entry

[countable] a long, thin mark on the ground to show the limit or border of something, especially of a playing area in some sports

The first to cross the line wins the race.
They were all waiting on the starting line.
She crossed the centre line and hit an oncoming truck.
over/across the line The ball was over the line.
behind the line Your feet must be behind the line when you serve (= in tennis).

see also finishing line, fire line, foul line, goal line, sideline, touchline

Extra Examples

The ball was called out but a replay showed it was right on the line.
A goal was given but I don't think the ball crossed the line.
He moved the ball quickly along the line and scored.
They are good at passing the ball down the line.
He stood in the middle of an empty football pitch, on the centre line.
It was a photo finish, with three cyclists appearing to cross the line simultaneously.
She got off the start line quickly and was leading at the 500-meter mark.
It's a country lane with no lines.

Topics Sports: ball and racket sportsa1

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

long
short
thick
…

verb + line

draw
mark

line + verb

run
divide something
separate something
…

preposition

in a line

phrases

a line of latitude
a line of longitude

See full entry

[countable] a mark like a line on somebody’s skin that people usually get as they get older synonym wrinkle

He has fine lines around his eyes.

Extra Examples

Deep worry lines had appeared on her forehead.
I saw the faint lines of concern etched into his brow.
a cream that improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
I'm starting to get lines around my mouth.
The camera focuses on the wrinkled laughter lines around the man's eyes.
The bright light shows all the lines on your face.
a slim face with deep lines on either side of the mouth
Smoking gives you lines on your skin.
She says she doesn't frown because it gives you lines.

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

worry
deep
faint
…

verb + line

have

line + verb

run
appear

See full entry

row of people/things

[countable] a row of people or things next to each other or behind each other

They formed a line and marched forward.
in a line The children all stood in a line.
line of something They were stuck in a line of traffic.
a straight/long line of trees

see also chorus line, defensive line, offensive line (1), picket line

Extra Examples

Make sure the posts are planted in a straight line.
There were three bins in a line.
They were all walking along the lane in a line.
grasses are planted at regular intervals in long diagonal lines
A line of cars stretched as far as the eye could see.
There was a long line of lorries on the A40.
A line of dancers stood on stage kicking their legs.
A line of trees was sillhouetted against the sky.
A line of mounted police stopped protesters.

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

long
short
new
…

verb + line

form

preposition

in a/the line
on a/the line

See full entry

[countable] (North American English) a queue of people

A line formed at each teller window.
in line to stand/wait in line
If you want a ticket, get in line.
line for something There's a line for the women's bathroom.
They have to stand in line for groceries.

Extra Examples

The lunch line was long as usual.
You'll have to wait in line like everybody else.
people standing in line at the bank
How many hours each week do you spend waiting in line for coffee?
‘Get back in line!’ the teacher snarled.
He was sent to the back of the line.
I joined the line and prepared for a long wait.
supermarket checkout lines
The lines stretched around the block.
There was a long line at the post office.
If there's a line for the women's room, I go in the men's.

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

long
short
checkout
…

verb + line

form

preposition

in line

See full entry

phone

[countable] a phone connection; a particular phone number

The phone lines were jammed (= very busy) with people calling to complain.
I tried to call but the line was busy.
I was talking to John when the line suddenly went dead.
Lines are open from 7.30 am until midnight seven days a week.
If you hold the line (= stay on the phone and wait), I'll see if she is available.
on the line It's your mother on the line.
Your bill includes line rental.

see also fixed-line, helpline, hotline, landline, offline, online, open line

Wordfinder

area code
call
dial
engaged
hold
line
message
phone
ring off
voicemail

Extra Examples

He kept shouting down the line at me.
Please stay on the line until one of our customer service operatives becomes available.
She didn't know that he was on the line listening to the call.
Speak up—it's rather a bad line.
What do I dial for an outside line?
At that time you needed a phone line to connect with the internet.
The toll-free phone line is open from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
The panic room has its own ventilation system and telephone line.
He gave me the number of his private line.
I don't use this line for personal calls.
You can call me back on this line.
‘Bye,’ he said and the line went dead.
Lines are now open and viewers can vote by calling 090 77 77 77.
Throughout the evening the telephone lines will be open for listeners to share their memories.
Whenever I try to ring the doctor's the lines are all busy.
They said they tried to call you, but your line was busy.

Topics Phones, email and the interneta2

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

direct
trunk
power
…

verb + line

hold

line + verb

be busy
be engaged
be dead
…

preposition

down the line
on the line
on line
…

See full entry

railway/bus

[countable] a railway track or other transport route; a section of a transport system or route

The train was delayed because a tree had fallen across the line.
a rail line
(British English also) a railway line
the East Coast line
We got off the bus near the end of the line at San Gerardo.
Streetcar lines carried passengers to ever more distant areas of the city.
on a line We live on the Northern Line.

route/direction

[countable, usually singular] the direction that somebody/something is moving or located in

in a line Just keep going in a straight line.
The town is in a direct line between London and the coast.
line of something Be careful to stay out of the line of fire (= the direction somebody is shooting in).
They followed the line of the river for three miles.

Extra Examples

He couldn't even walk in a straight line.
The surveyors moved across the country, through forests, up mountains, and down ravines, but always travelling in straight lines.
The wall follows the line of the mountain range.
We could have gone in a more direct line to Denver.
It's three miles along the road, although only a mile and a half away in a direct line.
The kitchen garden runs along the line of the building's south facing terrace.
If you follow the line of my finger, you can see the building there on the hillside.

[countable] a route from one place to another especially when it is used for a particular purpose

Their aim was to block guerrilla supply lines.

words

[countable]

(abbreviation l)

a row of words on a page or the empty space where they can be written; the words of a song or poem or other piece of writing

Look at line 5 of the text.
Write the title of your essay on the top line.
I can only remember the first two lines of that song.
She quoted a few lines of Shakespeare.
A team of programmers wrote 200 000 lines of code (= computer programming language).
Avoid a line break (= starting a new line) in the middle of a word.

Wordfinder

act
cast
drama
entrance
exit
line
play
role
scene
speech

see also bottom line, command line, subject line, top line

Extra Examples

Start each paragraph on a new line.
There should be a full stop at the end of the line.
He asked me to sing the opening lines of Tosti's ‘In the hush of the night’.
Each picture is accompanied by a short line of text.
As soon as I read those lines I knew this was a writer I would love.
The story's first line reads, ‘There were once two little girls who saw, or believed they saw, a thing in a forest.’
He pointed to a line in the book he was holding.
Each line of the poem has five stressed syllables.
A sonnet usually has fourteen lines.
The first letter of each line forms a word.
The poet was very particular about the font, punctuation, and line spacing of his poems.

Topics Literature and writinga1

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

long
short
new
…

verb + line

form

preposition

in a/the line
on a/the line

See full entry

[countable] the words spoken by an actor in a play or film

to learn your lines
I keep forgetting my lines.
The way she delivers the line is hilarious.
line from something He quoted a line from the film ‘Casablanca’.

He delivers his lines in a flat, uninflected way.
In a musical, actors often sing their lines.
In the audition you will be asked to read a few lines.
He read his lines in a monotone.
She is obviously reading lines from a script.
The film includes some great lines.
an unoriginal plot enlivened by a few good lines of dialogue
That's when he utters the memorable line ‘Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.’
He started coughing in the middle of the line.
It was a small part with few lines.
Actors always want more lines.

Topics Film and theatreb1

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + lines

learn
practise/practice
recite
…

See full entry

lines

[plural] (British English) (in some schools) a punishment in which a child has to write out a particular sentence a number of times

The teacher gave me 100 lines.

[countable] (informal) a remark, especially when somebody says it to achieve a particular purpose

Don't give me that line about having to work late again.
(British English) That's the worst chat-up line I've ever heard.

rope/wire/pipe

[countable, uncountable] a long piece of rope, string, etc., especially when it is used for a particular purpose

They dropped the sails and threw a line to a man on the dock.
on the line Towels were hanging on the line (= clothes line).
He had a fish on his line.
150 feet of nylon line

Wordfinder

bait
bite
dragnet
fishing
fly
hook
line
net
rod
trawl

see also clothes line, fishing line, lifeline, washing line, zip line

Extra Examples

Get the clothes off the line.
When he reeled in his line, there was nothing on the end of it.
He measured the land by laying out lines running due east-west and six miles apart, cut at right angles by other lines running due north-south, to create a grid.
An anchor was dropped over the side on almost 1 000 feet of anchor line.
The fish immediately pulled out about 20 yards of line.

[countable] a pipe or thick wire that carries water, gas or electricity from one place to another

water/gas/sewage lines
Telephone lines were brought down in the storm.
There were two fuel lines coming into the engine.
The telegraph lines connecting the two cities had been cut.

division

[countable] an imaginary limit or border between one place or thing and another

a district/county line
lines of longitude and latitude
across a line He was convicted of illegally importing weapons across state lines.

see also coastline, dividing line (2), fault line (1), International Date Line, state line, treeline, waterline

Extra Examples

His family lived across the state line in West Virginia.
As we crossed the New York state line, we passed a field of soybeans.
He remembers the first time he crossed the line into Iraq.
the boundary line between two countries
We must end this separation of rich and poor across school district lines.
Computer databases are being used to redraw electoral district lines.
For residents of Los Angeles, California, the county line to the south is often referred to as ‘the orange curtain’.
The Civil War was a moment when the various lines dividing the country were contested.
The Equator is an imaginary line encircling the globe.
When they talk about North and South, they are referring to an imaginary line from Dublin to Galway.

[countable] the division between one area of thought or behaviour and another or between one group of people and another

Mass consumption blurred the lines of class distinction.
We want to cut across lines of race, sex and religion.
Music offers a way to cross cultural lines.
line between A and B There is a fine line between informing the public and alarming them.

see also dividing line (1), fault line (2), poverty line, red line

There's a fine line between showing interest in what someone is doing and interfering in it.
With this film he crosses the line into straightforward commercialism.
Government is damaged when the line separating church and state is crossed.
This architecture is about blurring the lines between nature and the built environment.
Her work plays with stereotypes, blurring lines of sex and gender.
British figurative artist Gary Benfield straddles the line between drawing and painting.
Some of the performances fail to straddle the fine line between understatement and dullness.

attitude/argument

[countable, usually singular] an attitude or a belief, especially one that somebody states publicly

The company line is that discrimination in any form is not tolerated.
line on something He supported the official line on education.
The government is taking a firm line on terrorism.

see also hard line, hard-line, party line

Extra Examples

There's been a hardening of lines on both sides (= both sides have developed stricter or more fixed attitudes).
A senior intelligence officer contradicted the government's official line.
Newsreaders just repeat the government line.
They are expected to unquestioningly support the management line.
His speech cast aside the Foreign Office line on the issue.
I tend to take the line that as long as everyone consents and is of a legal age, then it is best to just let people do what they want.
The administration has taken a line that is basically contrary to its own principles.

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

broad
firm
hard
…

verb + line

adopt
follow
pursue
…

preposition

in line with
out of line with
line on
…

phrases

a line of argument
a line of reasoning
a line of attack
…

See full entry

[countable] a method or way of doing or thinking about something

His research follows quite different lines.
line of something I don't follow your line of reasoning.
a line of thought/thinking
She decided to try a different line of argument (= way of persuading somebody of something).
somebody’s first line of attack/defence
The police are pursuing a new line of inquiry (= way of finding out information).

series

[countable, usually singular] a series of people, things or events that follow one another in time

to pass something down through the male/female line
line of something She came from a long line of doctors.
This novel is the latest in a long line of thrillers that he has written.
That was the first in a whole line of mistakes and bad decisions.
line (from somebody/something) (to somebody/something) The book traces a historical line from Beethoven to the present day.
down the line The muddle seems to have happened further down the line.

Extra Examples

The film traces a line of events from their first meeting through to their tragic separation and death.
We can trace a line of such thinking from Voltaire.
His work is in a direct line from that of John Cassavetes.
I do not accept the claim that there is a direct line from Nietzsche via Heidegger to Nazism.
Mitochondrial DNA makes it possible to trace the maternal line.
The mutation gets passed down the ancestral line.
This is pop that can trace its line all the way back to the Beatles.

[countable, usually singular] a series of people in order of importance

line of something a line of command
There is some benefit to having a clear line of authority.
down the line (from somebody/something) Orders came down the line from the very top.
in line (to somebody/something) He is second in line to the chairman.
to be next in line to the throne

shape

[countable] the edge, outline or shape of somebody/something

He traced the line of her jaw with his finger.
a beautiful sports car with sleek lines
I prefer simple lines in skirts and trousers.

see also A-line, bikini lineTopics Colours and Shapesa1

in factory

[countable] a system of making something, in which the product moves from one worker to the next until it is finished see also assembly line, production line

activity

[singular] a type or area of business, activity or interest

line of something My line of work pays pretty well.
What line of business are they in?
in the… line You can't do much in the art line without training.

product

[countable] a type of product

Some lines sell better than others.
new product lines
line in something We are starting a new line in casual clothes.

transport

[countable] (often used in names) a company that provides transport for people or goods

a shipping/bus line
the White Star Line

soldiers

[countable] a row or series of military defences where the soldiers are fighting during a war

They were trapped behind enemy lines (= in the area controlled by the enemy).

drugs

[countable] (slang) an amount of cocaine that is spread out in a thin line, ready to take

Word Originnoun Old English līne ‘rope, series’, probably of Germanic origin, from Latin linea (fibra) ‘flax (fibre)’, from Latin linum ‘flax’, reinforced in Middle English by Old French ligne, based on Latin linea.

Idioms

above the line

(finance) connected with the income that a company receives and the costs it has to pay in its daily business, which affect the profit it makes
- All these costs are above the line and directly hit profits.
compare below the line (1)
(business) connected with advertising in the mass media
- They planned an advertising campaign with both above-the-line and social media components.
compare below the line (2)

along/down the line

(informal) at some point during an activity or a process
- Somewhere along the line a large amount of money went missing.
- We'll make a decision on that further down the line.

along/on (the)… lines

(informal) in the way that is mentioned
- The new system will operate along the same lines as the old one.
- They voted along class lines.
(informal) similar to the way or thing that is mentioned
- Those aren't his exact words, but he said something along those lines.
- The hotel was built along the lines of a French chateau.

the battle lines are drawn

used to say that people or groups have shown which side they intend to support in an argument or contest that is going to beginTopics Opinion and argumentc2

be, come, etc. on line

to be working or functioning
- The new working methods will come on line in June.
see also online

be in the firing line

(North American English also be on the firing line)

to be in a position where you can be shot at
- attempts to prevent civilians from being in the firing line
to be in a position where people can criticize or blame you
- The employment secretary found himself in the firing line over recent job cuts.

below the line

(finance) connected with unusual costs or income that a company pays or receives, that are not part of its daily business and are taken away or added after calculating profits
- There was a £4 million extraordinary charge below the line.
compare above the line (1)
(business) connected with advertising by means of direct mail, email, social media, events, etc.
- We are planning social networking, digital marketing and below-the-line activities across the country.
compare above the line (2)
connected with a section at the end of an online article or blog post where readers can put comments
- There were numerous comments below the line.

bring somebody/something, come, get, fall, etc. into line (with somebody/something)

to behave or make somebody/something behave in the same way as other people or how they should behave
- The other members of the board must be brought into line.
- The actions of investors do not always fall into line with financial theory.

cross a/the line

to do something that is not considered to be acceptable behaviour
- He crossed the line by making details of their very private conversation public.

cut in line

(also jump the line)

(both North American English)

(British English jump the queue)

to go to the front of a line of people without waiting for your turn
- Somebody cut in line in front of me.

draw a line under something

(British English) to say that something is finished and not worth discussing any more

(reach) the end of the line/road

(to reach) the point at which something can no longer continue in the same way
- A defeat in the second round marked the end of the line for last year's champion.
- The loss of this contract could signal the end of the line for the shipyard.
- This latest disagreement could mean the end of the road for the band.

a firm hand

strong control or discipline
- Those children need a firm hand to make them behave.

hook, line and sinker

completely
- What I said was not true, but he fell for it (= believed it) hook, line and sinker.

in (a) line (with something)

in a position that forms a straight line with something
- An eclipse happens when the earth and moon are in line with the sun.

in line for something

likely to get something
- She is in line for promotion.

in the line of duty

while doing a job
- A policeman was injured in the line of duty yesterday.

in line with something

similar to something or so that one thing is closely connected with another
- Annual pay increases will be in line with inflation.

lay it on the line

(informal) to tell somebody clearly what you think, especially when they will not like what you say
- The manager laid it on the line—some people would have to lose their jobs.

(draw) a line in the sand

(to establish) a clear limit to what you will do or accept
- It’s time to draw a line in the sand and stop allowing workplace bullying to continue.

(choose, follow, take, etc.) the line/path of least resistance

(to choose, etc.) the easiest way of doing something

(put something) on the line

(informal) at risk
- If we don't make a profit, my job is on the line.

out of line (with somebody/something)

not forming a straight line
different from something
- London prices are way out of line with the rest of the country.
(British English also out of order)
(informal) behaving in a way that is not acceptable or right

overstep the mark/line

to behave in a way that people think is not acceptable
- She realized she had overstepped the mark and quickly apologized.

pitch a story/line/yarn (to somebody)

(informal) to tell somebody a story or make an excuse that is not true

read between the lines

to look for or discover a meaning in something that is not openly stated
- Reading between the lines, I think Clare needs money.

sign on the dotted line

(informal) to sign a document to show that you have agreed to buy something or do something
- Just sign on the dotted line and the car is yours.
Topics Discussion and agreementc2

step out of line | be/get out of line

to behave badly or break the rules
- His boss warned him that if he stepped out of line once more he would be fired.

toe the (party) line

(North American English also toe the mark)

to say or do what somebody in authority tells you to say or do, even if you do not share the same opinions, etc.
- One or two of them refused to toe the line.
- MPs rarely fail to toe the party line.

walk/tread a fine/thin line (between A and B)

to be in a difficult or dangerous situation where you could easily make a mistake
- He was walking a fine line between being funny and being rude.
- She often seems to tread a thin line between success and failure.
Extra Examples
- His comedy treads the line between shocking and sickening.
- We have to walk a fine line to make sure we don't promote one brand more than another.
- His buildings walk the thin line between visionary and completely mad.

line

long thin mark

row of people/things

phone

railway/bus

route/direction

words

rope/wire/pipe

division

attitude/argument

series

shape

in factory

activity

product

transport

soldiers

drugs

line

cover inside

form rows