(līn) noun
1. A string or cord.
2. Naut. A rope, cord, or wire used for a specific purpose.
3. A wire or cable conducting power or telecommunication signals between two stations.
4. A fishing line.
5. Any slender mark or stroke, as drawn with a pen, pencil, tool, etc.
6. Something resembling the long mark or trace made by a pen or tool; band; seam; furrow.
7. In art: a The representation of form by the use of strokes, instead of by shading or coloring. b plural The distinguishing features of the composition of a painting or drawing.
8. Music One of the parallel horizontal strokes that form a musical staff.
9. In various games, as football, baseball, tennis, etc., a mark of division or outline on the field, diamond, court, etc.
10. In television, one horizontal trace of the electron beam across the screen.
11. A thin furrow or wrinkle on the face or hands.
12. Geom. The trace, straight or curved, made by a moving point; an extent of length conceived without breadth or thickness.
13. A boundary or limit: the Mason-Dixon Line.
14. Contour; outline: the broken line of the shore.
15. Geog. a The equator. b Any circle, arc, or boundary conceived for purposes of plotting the earth's surface: the date line.
16. A row of persons or things: The people stood in line.
17. Agreement; accord: to bring all the factions into line.
18. A course of action, thought, procedure, etc.: a line of argument; the line of duty.
19. Plan of construction or procedure: an argument based on political lines. Ρ
20. A course of movement; route: the line of march.
21. A branch of activity; a business or vocation: the advertising line.
22. The compass of one's ability, talent, etc.: Such jokes are not in his line.
23. A series of persons each of whom is the next descendant or heir of the one preceding.
24. A row of printed or written words bounded by the margins of a page or column.
25. A short letter; a note.
26. A verse (def. 1).
27. plural: The words of a play or of an actor's part.
28. In advertising, a measure of column space equaling 1/14 inch.
29. A railroad track or roadbed.
30. Any system of public transportation: a steamship line.
31. A pipe or system of pipes conveying a fluid: a gas line.
32. Mil. a A series of fortifications presenting an extended front: Maginot line. b A trench or rampart. c A row of soldiers standing abreast, as distinguished from column.
33. Naut. An arrangement of ships in a certain order.
34. Mil. The combatant forces, as distinguished from the special services and the staff.
35. Nav. The class of officers having command of combat operations.
36. In football: a The linemen, collectively. b The line of scrimmage: see LINE OF SCRIMMAGE under SCRIMMAGE.
37. A variety of goods of a certain class or type, carried by a store or offered by an advertiser.
38. plural Colloq. Marriage-lines.
39. Colloq. a A glib manner of speech. b A few words or a speech intended to sway or influence. See synonyms under BOUNDARY, MARK.
—in line for In succession for; ready for.
—in line with In accord with.
—v. lined, lin·ing v.t.
1. To mark with lines; put lines upon.
2. To place in a line; bring into alinement or conformity: often with up.
3. To form a line along: Police lined the side of the road.
4. To place something in a line along: to line a wall with archers.
5. In baseball, to bat (the ball) in a line drive.
—v.i.
6. To form a line; assume position or place: usually with up.
—to line out In baseball: a To be retired by batting a line drive to a fielder, b To get (a hit) by batting a line drive which is not caught or fielded.
—to line up
1. To form a line.
2. To bring into line.
3. To organize for or against some activity, issue, etc. [OE līne cord; infl. by F ligne <L linea linen thread <linum flax]

(līn) v.t. lined, lin·ing
1. To apply a covering or layer, usually of different material, to the inside surface of.
2. To serve as an inner covering or layer for: Lockers lined the wall.
3. To fill or supply: to line one's pockets with bribes.
—noun
1. The fiber of flax.
2. Linen. [OE līn flax]