lining

¹

[lahy-ning]

noun

1. the act of marking or ornamenting a surface with lines.

2. a design or ornamentation composed of lines.

3. Printing.,  a system of designing type so that all characters of the same point size, regardless of font, will align with one another.

lining

²

[lahy-ning]

noun

1. something that is used to line another thing; a layer of material on the inner side or surface of something.

2. Bookbinding.,  the material used to strengthen the back of a book after the sheets have been folded, backed, and sewed.

3. the act or process of lining something.

lining

/ ˈlaɪnɪŋ /

noun

1. 1. material used to line a garment, curtain, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      lining satin

2. a material, such as mull or brown paper, used to strengthen the back of a book

3. civil engineering a layer of concrete, brick, or timber, etc, used in canals to prevent them leaking or in tunnels or shafts to prevent them falling in

4. any material used as an interior covering

Word History and Origins

Origin of lining¹

First recorded in 1565–75; line ¹ + -ing ¹

Origin of lining²

First recorded in 1375–1425, lining is from the late Middle English word lynyng. See line ², -ing ¹

Idioms and Phrases

see silver lining.

Example Sentences

Shares in big agency-holding groups have been under pressure lately amid those concerns, but some company executives see silver linings from the technology shift.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The potential silver lining for the country in Tuesday’s results—small comfort to anyone paying New Jersey taxes—is that Democrats can see a model of electoral success that isn’t rooted in radicalism.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But there must be a silver lining here.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Further south in Multan district, always hit hard by floods, the scale of the humanitarian crisis became even clearer, with tents lining dirt roads and highways.

Read more on BBC

That means accounting for tuition and fees, books and supplies, housing, meals, transportation and personal expenses — and then lining up those costs against the aid being offered.

Read more on MarketWatch

Related Words

• covering