line drawing

American

noun

a drawing done exclusively in line, providing gradations in tone entirely through variations in width and density.

line drawing British

noun

a drawing made with lines only, gradations in tone being provided by the spacing and thickness of the lines

"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 line drawing

First recorded in 1890–95

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.

But if Carl Richards was invited to the party — as he should be — the group might emerge with just a line drawing accompanied by a few words.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 16, 2026

Not those hairline millimetre is he on or off line drawing nonsense situations.

From BBC • Feb. 15, 2026

But they would mark a shift away from an equal protection analysis that demands close attention to fit and effect, toward one that treats administrability and legislative line drawing as decisive.

From Slate • Jan. 14, 2026

A line drawing of the couple, created in one take by their 10-year-old nephew.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2025

She takes the hardbound green volume, with gold lettering and a line drawing of a girl with abundant red hair in a chignon on the front, and opens it.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline

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