line

[ lahyn ]

/ laɪn /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR line ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), lined, lin·ing.

to cover the inner side or surface of: to line the coat with blue silk.

to serve to cover: Velvet draperies lined the walls of the room.

to furnish or fill: to line shelves with provisions.

to reinforce the back of a book with glued fabric, paper, vellum, etc.

noun

a thickness of glue, as between two veneers in a sheet of plywood.

Nearby words

lindsey, benjamin barr, lindsey, parts of, lindwall, lindy, lindy hop, line, line angle, line art, line block, line breeding, line call

Idioms

line one's pockets, to make much money, especially in an illegal or questionable way.

Origin of line

1350–1400; Middle English lynen, derivative of line linen, flax, Old English līn < Latin līnum flax

Definition for line one's pockets (2 of 2)

pocket

[ pok-it ]

/ ˈpɒk ɪt /

noun

a shaped piece of fabric attached inside or outside a garment and forming a pouch used especially for carrying small articles.

a bag or pouch.

means; financial resources: a selection of gifts to fit every pocket.

any pouchlike receptacle, compartment, hollow, or cavity.

an envelope, receptacle, etc., usually of heavy paper and open at one end, used for storing or preserving photographs, stamps, phonograph records, etc.: Each album has 12 pockets.

a recess, as in a wall, for receiving a sliding door, sash weights, etc.

any isolated group, area, element, etc., contrasted, as in status or condition, with a surrounding element or group: pockets of resistance; a pocket of poverty in the central city.

Mining.

a small orebody or mass of ore, frequently isolated.
a bin for ore or rock storage.
a raise or small slope fitted with chute gates.

Billiards, Pool. any of the pouches or bags at the corners and sides of the table.

a position in which a competitor in a race is so hemmed in by others that his or her progress is impeded.

Football. the area from which a quarterback throws a pass, usually a short distance behind the line of scrimmage and protected by a wall of blockers.

Bowling. the space between the headpin and the pin next behind to the left or right, taken as the target for a strike.

Baseball. the deepest part of a mitt or glove, roughly in the area around the center of the palm, where most balls are caught.

Nautical. a holder consisting of a strip of sailcloth sewed to a sail, and containing a thin wooden batten that stiffens the leech of the sail.

Anatomy. any saclike cavity in the body: a pus pocket.

stage pocket.

an English unit of weight for hops equivalent to 168 pounds (76.4 kg).

adjective

small enough or suitable for carrying in the pocket: a pocket watch.

relatively small; smaller than usual: a pocket war; a pocket country.

verb (used with object)

to put into one's pocket: to pocket one's keys.

to take possession of as one's own, often dishonestly: to pocket public funds.

to submit to or endure without protest or open resentment: to pocket an insult.

to conceal or suppress: to pocket one's pride.

to enclose or confine in or as if in a pocket: The town was pocketed in a small valley.

Billiards, Pool. to drive (a ball) into a pocket.

pocket-veto.

to hem in (a contestant) so as to impede progress, as in racing.

Origin of pocket

1250–1300; Middle English poket < Old North French (Picard) poquet (Old French pochet, pochette), diminutive of poque < Middle Dutch poke poke²; see -et

SYNONYMS FOR pocket

21 steal, pilfer, appropriate, filch.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR pocket ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formspock·et·less, adjectivepock·et·like, adjectiveun·pock·et, verb (used with object)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for line one's pockets (1 of 3)

line

/ (laɪn) /

noun

a narrow continuous mark, as one made by a pencil, pen, or brush across a surface

such a mark cut into or raised from a surface

a thin indented mark or wrinkle

a straight or curved continuous trace having no breadth that is produced by a moving point

maths

any straight one-dimensional geometrical element whose identity is determined by two points. A line segment lies between any two points on a line
a set of points (x, y) that satisfies the equation y = mx + c, where m is the gradient and c is the intercept with the y -axis

a border or boundarythe county line

sport

a white or coloured band indicating a boundary or division on a field, track, etc
a mark or imaginary mark at which a race begins or ends

American football

See line of scrimmage
the players arranged in a row on either side of the line of scrimmage at the start of each play

a specified point of change or limitthe dividing line between sanity and madness

the edge or contour of a shape, as in sculpture or architecture, or a mark on a painting, drawing, etc, defining or suggesting this
the sum or type of such contours or marks, characteristic of a style or designthe line of a draughtsman; the line of a building

anything long, flexible, and thin, such as a wire or stringa washing line; a fishing line

a telephone connectiona direct line to New York

a conducting wire, cable, or circuit for making connections between pieces of electrical apparatus, such as a cable for electric-power transmission, telecommunications, etc
(as modifier)the line voltage

a system of travel or transportation, esp over agreed routesa shipping line

a company operating such a system

a route between two points on a railway

mainly British

a railway track, including the roadbed, sleepers, etc
one of the rails of such a track

NZ a roadway usually in a rural area

a course or direction of movement or advancethe line of flight of a bullet

a course or method of action, behaviour, etctake a new line with him

a policy or prescribed course of action or way of thinking (often in the phrases bring or come into line)

a field of study, interest, occupation, trade, or professionthis book is in your line

alignment; true (esp in the phrases in line, out of line)

one kind of product or articlea nice line in hats

NZ a collection of bales of wool all of the one type

a row of persons or thingsa line of cakes on the conveyor belt

a chronological or ancestral series, esp of peoplea line of prime ministers

a row of words printed or written across a page or column

a unit of verse consisting of the number of feet appropriate to the metre being used and written or printed with the words in a single row

a short letter; notejust a line to say thank you

a piece of useful information or hint about somethinggive me a line on his work

one of a number of narrow horizontal bands forming a television picture

physics a narrow band in an electromagnetic spectrum, resulting from a transition in an atom, ion, or molecule of a gas or plasma

music

any of the five horizontal marks that make up the staveCompare space (def. 10)
the musical part or melody notated on one such set
a discernible shape formed by sequences of notes or musical soundsa meandering melodic line
(in polyphonic music) a set of staves that are held together with a bracket or brace

a unit of magnetic flux equal to 1 maxwell

a defensive or fortified position, esp one that marks the most forward position in war or a national boundarythe front line

line ahead or line abreast a formation adopted by a naval unit for manoeuvring

a formation adopted by a body or a number of military units when drawn up abreast

the combatant forces of certain armies and navies, excluding supporting arms

fencing one of four divisions of the target on a fencer's body, considered as areas to which specific attacks are made

the scent left by a fox

the equator (esp in the phrase crossing the line)
any circle or arc on the terrestrial or celestial sphere

the amount of insurance written by an underwriter for a particular risk

US and Canadian a line of people, vehicles, etc, waiting for somethingAlso called (in Britain and certain other countries): queue

slang a portion of a powdered drug for snorting

slang something said for effect, esp to solicit for money, sex, etche gave me his usual line

above the line

accounting denoting entries above a horizontal line on a profit and loss account, separating those that establish the profit or loss from those that show how the profit is distributed
denoting revenue transactions rather than capital transactions in a nation's accounts
marketing expenditure on media advertising through an agency, rather than internally arranged advertising, such as direct mail, free samples, etc
bridge denoting bonus points, marked above the horizontal line on the score card

below the line

accounting denoting entries below a horizontal line on a profit and loss account, separating those that establish the profit or loss from those that show how the profit is distributed
denoting capital transactions rather than revenue transactions in a nation's accounts
marketing denoting expenditure on advertising by other means than the traditional media, such as the provision of free gifts, special displays, direct mailshots, etc
bridge denoting points scored towards game and rubber, marked below the horizontal line on the score card

all along the line

at every stage in a series
in every detail

do a line Irish and Australian informal to associate (with a person of the opposite sex) regularly; go out (with)he is doing a line with her

draw the line to reasonably object (to) or set a limit (on)her father draws the line at her coming in after midnight

get a line on informal to obtain information about

hold the line

to keep a telephone line open
football to prevent the opponents from taking the ball forward
(of soldiers) to keep formation, as when under fire

in line for in the running for; a candidate forhe's in line for a directorship

in line with conforming to

in the line of duty as a necessary and usually undesired part of the performance of one's responsibilities

lay on the line or put on the line

to pay money
to speak frankly and directly
to risk (one's career, reputation, etc) on something

shoot a line informal to try to create a false image, as by boasting or exaggerating

step out of line to fail to conform to expected standards, attitudes, etc

toe the line to conform to expected standards, attitudes, etc

verb

(tr) to mark with a line or lines

(tr) to draw or represent with a line or lines

(tr) to be or put as a border totulips lined the lawns

to place in or form a row, series, or alignment

Word Origin for line

C13: partly from Old French ligne, ultimately from Latin līnea, n use of līneus flaxen, from līnum flax; partly from Old English līn, ultimately also from Latin līnum flax

British Dictionary definitions for line one's pockets (2 of 3)

line

/ (laɪn) /

verb (tr)

to attach an inside covering to (a garment, curtain, etc), as for protection, to hide the seaming, or so that it should hang well

to cover or fit the inside ofto line the walls with books

to fill plentifullya purse lined with money

to reinforce the back of (a book) with fabric, paper, etc

Word Origin for line

C14: ultimately from Latin līnum flax, since linings were often made of linen

British Dictionary definitions for line one's pockets (3 of 3)

pocket

/ (ˈpɒkɪt) /

noun

a small bag or pouch in a garment for carrying small articles, money, etc

any bag or pouch or anything resembling this

a cavity or hollow in the earth, etc, such as one containing gold or other ore
the ore in such a place

a small enclosed or isolated areaa pocket of resistance

billiards snooker any of the six holes with pouches or nets let into the corners and sides of a billiard table

a position in a race in which a competitor is hemmed in

Australian rules football a player in one of two side positions at the ends of the groundback pocket; forward pocket

Southern African a bag or sack of vegetables or fruit

in one's pocket under one's control

in pocket having made a profit, as after a transaction

in the pocket rugby (of a fly half) in an attacking position slightly further back from play than normal, making himself available for a drop goal attempt

out of pocket having made a loss, as after a transaction

line one's pockets to make money, esp by dishonesty when in a position of trust

(modifier) suitable for fitting in a pocket; smalla pocket edition

(modifier) poker slang denoting a pair formed from the two private cards dealt to a player in a game of Texas hold 'empocket queens

verb -ets, -eting or -eted (tr)

to put into one's pocket

to take surreptitiously or unlawfully; steal

(usually passive) to enclose or confine in or as if in a pocket

to receive (an insult, injury, etc) without retaliating

to conceal or keep back (feelings)he pocketed his pride and accepted help

billiards snooker to drive (a ball) into a pocket

US (esp of the President) to retain (a bill) without acting on it in order to prevent it from becoming lawSee also pocket veto

to hem in (an opponent), as in racing

Derived Formspocketable, adjectivepocketless, adjective

Word Origin for pocket

C15: from Anglo-Norman poket a little bag, from poque bag, from Middle Dutch poke poke ², bag; related to French poche pocket

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 line one's pockets (1 of 6)

pocket

mid-14c., pokete, "bag, pouch, small sack," from Anglo-French pokete (13c.), diminutive of Old North French poque "bag" (Old French pouche), from a Germanic source akin to Frankish *pokka "bag," from Proto-Germanic *puk- (see poke (n.)).

Meaning "small bag worn on the person, especially one sewn into a garment" is from early 15c. Sense in billiards is from 1754. Mining sense is attested from 1850; military sense of "area held by troops surrounded by the enemy" is from 1918; the general sense of "small area different than its surroundings" (1926) apparently was extended from the military use. Figuratively, "one's money" (conceived as being kept in a pocket) is from 1717. Pope Pokett (late 15c.) was figurative of the greedy and corrupt Church.

Word Origin and History for line one's pockets (1 of 6)

line

v.2

late 14c., "to tie with a cord," from line (n.). Meaning "to mark or mark off with lines" is from mid-15c. Sense of "to arrange in a line" is from 1640s; that of "to join a line" is by 1773. To line up "form a line" is attested by 1889, in U.S. football.

Word Origin and History for line one's pockets (2 of 6)

pocket

1580s, "to place in a pocket" (often with implications of dishonesty), from pocket (n.). From the earliest use often figurative. Meaning "to form pockets" is from c.1600. Related: Pocketed; pocketing.

Word Origin and History for line one's pockets (3 of 6)

pocket

adj.

1610s, "of or pertaining to or meant for a pocket," from pocket (n.). Pocket-knife is first recorded 1727; pocket-money is attested from 1630s. Often merely implying a small-sized version of something, e.g. of warships, from 1930, and cf. Pocket Venus "beautiful, small woman," attested from 1808. Pocket veto attested from 1842, American English.

The "pocket veto" can operate only in the case of bills sent to the President within ten days of Congressional adjournment. If he retain such a bill (figuratively, in his pocket) neither giving it his sanction by signing it, nor withholding his sanction in returning it to Congress, the bill is defeated. The President is not bound to give reasons for defeating a bill by a pocket veto which he has not had at least ten days to consider. In a regular veto he is bound to give such reasons. [James Albert Woodburn, "The American Republic and its Government," Putnam's, 1903]

Word Origin and History for line one's pockets (4 of 6)

line

a Middle English merger of Old English line "cable, rope; series, row, row of letters; rule, direction," and Old French ligne "guideline, cord, string; lineage, descent;" both from Latin linea "linen thread, string, line," from phrase linea restis "linen cord," from fem. of lineus (adj.) "of linen," from linum "linen" (see linen).

Oldest sense is "rope, cord, string;" extended late 14c. to "a thread-like mark" (from sense "cord used by builders for making things level," mid-14c.), also "track, course, direction." Sense of "things or people arranged in a straight line" is from 1550s. That of "cord bearing hooks used in fishing" is from c.1300. Meaning "one's occupation, branch of business" is from 1630s, probably from misunderstood KJV translation of 2 Cor. x:16, "And not to boast in another mans line of things made ready to our hand," where line translates Greek kanon, literally "measuring rod." Meaning "class of goods in stock" is from 1834. Meaning "telegraph wire" is from 1847 (later "telephone wire").

Meaning "policy or set of policies of a political faction" is 1892, American English, from notion of a procession of followers; this is the sense in party line. In British army, the Line (1802) is the regular, numbered troops, as distinguished from guards and auxiliaries. In the Navy (1704, e.g. ship of the line) it refers to the battle line. Lines "words of an actor's part" is from 1882. Lines of communication were originally transverse trenches in siegeworks.

Word Origin and History for line one's pockets (5 of 6)

line

v.1

"to cover the inner side of," late 14c., from Old English lin "linen cloth" (see linen). Linen was frequently used in the Middle Ages as a second layer of material on the inner side of a garment. Related: Lined; lining.

Medicine definitions for line one's pockets (1 of 2)

line

[ līn ]

n.

The path traced by a moving point.

A thin continuous mark, as that made by a pen, pencil, or brush applied to a surface.

A crease in the skin, especially on the face; a wrinkle.

In anatomy, a long narrow mark, strip, or streak distinguished from adjacent tissue by color, texture, or elevation.

A real or imaginary mark positioned in relation to fixed points of reference.

A border, boundary, or demarcation.

A contour or an outline.

A mark used to define a shape or represent a contour.

Any of the marks that make up the formal design of a picture.

A cable, rope, string, cord, or wire.

A general method, manner, or course of procedure.

A manner or course of procedure determined by a specified factor.

An official or prescribed policy.

Ancestry or lineage.

A series of persons, especially from one family, who succeed each other.

Medicine definitions for line one's pockets (2 of 2)

pocket

[ pŏk′ĭt ]

n.

In anatomy, a cul-de-sac or pouchlike cavity.

A diseased space between the inflamed gum and the surface of a tooth.

A collection of pus in a nearly closed sac.

v.

To enclose within a confined space.

To approach the surface at a localized spot, as with the thinned-out wall of an abscess which is about to rupture.

Science definitions for line one's pockets

line

[ līn ]

A geometric figure formed by a point moving in a fixed direction and in the reverse direction. The intersection of two planes is a line.♦ The part of a line that lies between two points on the line is called a line segment.

Culture definitions for line one's pockets

line

A set of points that have one dimension — length — but no width or height. (See coordinates.)

Idioms and Phrases with line one's pockets (1 of 3)

line one's pockets

Accept a bribe or other illicit payment, as in The mayor and his cronies found dozens of ways to line their pockets. This expression dates from the mid-1500s, when it was also put as line one's purse.

Idioms and Phrases with line one's pockets (2 of 3)

line

In addition to the idioms beginning with line

line of fire, in the
line one's pockets
line up

also see:

all along (the line)
along the lines of
blow it (one's lines)
bottom line
chow down (line)
down the line
draw a line
draw the line at
drop a line
end of the line
fall in line
feed someone a line
firing line
get a line on
go on (line)
hard line
hold the line
hook, line, and sinker
hot line
in line
lay on the line
least resistance, line of
on line
out of line
party line
read between the lines
sign on the dotted line
somewhere along the line
step out of line
toe the line

Idioms and Phrases with line one's pockets (3 of 3)

pocket

In addition to the idioms beginning with pocket

pocket money
pocket veto

also see:

deep pockets
in one's pocket
in pocket
line one's pockets
money burns a hole in one's pocket
out of pocket

line

verb (used with object), lined, lin·ing.

noun

RELATED CONTENT

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of line

Definition for line one's pockets (2 of 2)

pocket

noun

adjective

verb (used with object)

Origin of pocket

British Dictionary definitions for line one's pockets (1 of 3)

line

noun

verb

Word Origin for line

British Dictionary definitions for line one's pockets (2 of 3)

line

verb (tr)

Word Origin for line

British Dictionary definitions for line one's pockets (3 of 3)

pocket

noun

verb -ets, -eting or -eted (tr)

Word Origin for pocket

Word Origin and History for line one's pockets (1 of 6)

pocket

Word Origin and History for line one's pockets (1 of 6)

line

Word Origin and History for line one's pockets (2 of 6)

pocket

Word Origin and History for line one's pockets (3 of 6)

pocket

Word Origin and History for line one's pockets (4 of 6)

line

Word Origin and History for line one's pockets (5 of 6)

line

Medicine definitions for line one's pockets (1 of 2)

line

n.

Medicine definitions for line one's pockets (2 of 2)

pocket

n.

v.

Science definitions for line one's pockets

line

Culture definitions for line one's pockets

line

Idioms and Phrases with line one's pockets (1 of 3)

line one's pockets

Idioms and Phrases with line one's pockets (2 of 3)

line

Idioms and Phrases with line one's pockets (3 of 3)

pocket