cline
[klahyn]
- Biology. the gradual change in certain characteristics exhibited by members of a series of adjacent populations of organisms of the same species.
- Linguistics. (in systemic linguistics) a scale of continuous gradation; continuum.
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Origin of cline
Cline
[klahyn]
- PatsyVirginia Patterson Hensley, 1932–63, U.S. country singer.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for cline
Contemporary Examples
So, Cline officials courted state legislators and hired lobbyists.
In an interview, Buchen said several groups, including Cline and the WMC, gave input on the bill.
Three of the targets, Lefkofsky, Pegula, and Cline, were on the the Forbes 400, a list of the richest people in America.
How a No-Name Actor Tried to Extort Harvey Weinstein and Groupon’s CofounderChristine Pelisek
August 24, 2012
Weinstein, who declined to comment on the case, was the first to receive a letter, followed by Cline on June 14.
How a No-Name Actor Tried to Extort Harvey Weinstein and Groupon’s CofounderChristine Pelisek
August 24, 2012
Historical Examples
He preferred the instrument invented by Mr. Cline, of London.
Pioneer Surgery in KentuckyDavid W. Yandell
The relative size of the tail also varies in a cline from south to north.
Speciation in the Brazilian Spiny RatsJoo Moojen
Both his company and Cline's bivouacked in the town that night.
John Brown, Soldier of FortuneHill Peebles Wilson
"Yes, you managed it very well; I admired you for it," said my aunt Cline.
Swann's WayMarcel Proust
Cline put her lips to the instrument, the receiver to her ear.
Vision HouseC. N. Williamson
cline
- a continuous variation in form between members of a species having a wide variable geographical or ecological range
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Word Origin
C20: from Greek klinein to lean
Cline
- Patsy, original name Virginia Patterson Hensley . 1932–63, US country singer; her bestselling records include "Walking After Midnight", "I Fall to Pieces", and "Leavin' On Your Mind"
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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
Word Origin and History for cline
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
cline
[klīn]
- A gradual change in an inherited characteristic across the geographic range of a species, usually correlated with an environmental transition such as altitude, temperature, or moisture. For example, the body size in a species of warm-blooded animals tends to be larger in cooler climates (a latitudinal cline), while the flowering time of a plant may tend to be later at higher altitudes (an altitudinal cline). In species in which the gene flow between adjacent populations is high, the cline is typically smooth, whereas in populations with restricted gene flow the cline usually occurs as a series of relatively abrupt changes from one group to the next.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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