line of force

noun Physics.

an imaginary line or curve in a field of force, as an electric field, such that the direction of the line at any point is that of the force in the field at that point.

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Also called field line.

Origin of line of force

First recorded in 1870–75

Words nearby line of force

line of credit, line of demarcation, line of fire, line of fire, in the, line of fixation, line of force, line of induction, line of position, line of scrimmage, line of sight, line of site
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for field line

line of force

noun

an imaginary line representing a field of force, such as an electric or magnetic field, such that the tangent at any point is the direction of the field vector at that point
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

Scientific definitions for field line

line of force

A line used to indicate the direction of a field, especially an electric or magnetic field, at various points in space. The tangent of a line of force at each point indicates the orientation of the field at that point. Arrows are usually used to indicate the direction of the force. See Note at magnetism.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.