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pure line

American  

noun

Genetics.

  1. a uniform strain of organisms that is relatively pure genetically because of continued inbreeding and artificial selection.

pure line British  

noun

  1. a breed or strain of animals or plants in which certain characters appear in successive generations as a result of inbreeding or self-fertilization

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of pure line

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Pure line remains pure, however bestial the object it describes.

From The Divine Fire by Sinclair, May

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.