assembly line

American  

noun

1. an arrangement of machines, tools, and workers in which a product is assembled by having each perform a specific, successive operation on an incomplete unit as it passes by in a series of stages organized in a direct line.

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assembly line British  

noun

1. a sequence of machines, tools, operations, workers, etc, in a factory, arranged so that at each stage a further process is carried out

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assembly line Cultural  

1. A line of factory workers and equipment along which a product being assembled passes consecutively from operation to operation until completed.

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Assembly lines are found in many industries but are particularly associated with automobile manufacturing.

Etymology

Origin of assembly line

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15

Example Sentences

His mother was a real-estate broker who later worked on an assembly line to help put her son through college.

From The Wall Street Journal

"To make robots general machines, they need to be let out in the real world," Rokseth said, not just assembly lines or warehouses.

From Barron's

Influencers looking for a perfect photo op competed against tiger moms hoping that a glimpse of the robot-powered assembly lines might inspire their kids to pursue tech careers.

From The Wall Street Journal

That leaves humans with jobs that require flexibility and precision, like installing cables or seats into cars moving across an assembly line.

From The Wall Street Journal

When new car models roll off the assembly line, they are immediately picked apart and reverse-engineered by the competition.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• production line