liner

¹ American  

[lahy-ner] / ˈlaɪ nər /

noun

1. a ship or airplane operated by a transportation or conveyance company.

2. eyeliner.

3. Baseball. line drive.

4. a person or thing that traces by or marks with lines.

5. ship of the line.

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liner ² American  

[lahy-ner] / ˈlaɪ nər /

noun

1. something serving as a lining.

2. a protective covering, usually of cardboard, for a phonograph record; album; jacket.

3. a person who fits or provides linings.

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liner ¹ British  

/ ˈlaɪnə /

noun

1. a passenger ship or aircraft, esp one that is part of a commercial fleet

2. See Freightliner

3. Also called: eye liner.  a cosmetic used to outline the eyes, consisting of a liquid or cake mixed with water and applied by brush or a grease pencil

4. a person or thing that uses lines, esp in drawing or copying

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liner ² British  

/ ˈlaɪnə /

noun

1. a material used as a lining

2. a person who supplies or fits linings

3. engineering a sleeve, usually of a metal that will withstand wear or corrosion, fixed inside or outside a structural component or vessel

   cylinder liner

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Etymology

Origin of liner¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; line ¹, + -er ¹ ( def. )

Origin of liner²

First recorded in 1605–15; line ² + -er ¹

Example Sentences

"Sometimes saying, 'you hurt me', can sound harsh," Yunjin explained in the album's liner notes, "but it can also mean I care enough about us that I want things to get better."

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

Wrote Diamond in the liner notes of his “In My Lifetime” box set: “I actually thought ‘Crunchy Granola Suite’ might change people’s eating habits!”

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

Passage to the New World via ocean liner was not cheap.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

United has positioned itself as the domestic “luxury” liner.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

Cribbing a metaphor from Francis Aston of the Cavendish, Laurence reported that the energy unleashed from a glass of water could power the ocean liner Mauretania “across the Atlantic and back again.”

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• barge
• boat
• craft
• ocean liner
• tanker