brightline

[ brahyt-lahyn ]

/ ˈbraɪtˌlaɪn /

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adjective

(of rules, standards, etc.) unambiguously clear: This muddies the waters of what should be a brightline rule.

noun

Physical Chemistry. brightline spectrum.

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QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!

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Question 1 of 7

The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.

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Origin of brightline

Domestically, the prime minister maintains the dubious line that he is the only man who can keep the still-fragile peace.
Cambodia’s Smoke-and-Mirrors Democracy|David Shaftel|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
His peers remember him as a bright man who spoke softly and occasionally came across as a bit shy.
Mexico’s Priests Are Marked for Murder|Jason McGahan|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Last week I turned 40, a bittersweet occasion because I crossed the line to living longer without my mother than with her.
Everyone at This Dinner Party Has Lost Someone|Samantha Levine|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Completed in 1953 and composed with standard line breaks and punctuation, the book was completely ignored upon submission.
The Lost Novel of Nobel-Winner José Saramago|Charles Shafaieh|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Is it any wonder that the interests of large corporations and unions get to the front of the line?
The 100 Rich People Who Run America|Mark McKinnon|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In this position, the line of cavalry formed the chord of the arc described by the river, and occupied by us.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
Our talk ranged from the Panhandle to the Canada line, while our horses jogged steadily southward.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
His nose was hooked and rather large, his eyes were blue, bright as steel, and set a trifle wide.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
I have drawn a Line between the figures at the extream changes, that next below the Line is the extream.
Tintinnalogia, or, the Art of Ringing|Richard Duckworth and Fabian Stedman
My station was on the right of the line, where the breastwork, ending in a redoubt, was steep and high.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various