lines
Britishplural noun
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general appearance or outline
a car with fine lines
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a plan of procedure or construction
built on traditional lines
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the spoken words of a theatrical presentation
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the words of a particular role
he forgot his lines
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informal a marriage certificate
marriage lines
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luck, fate, or fortune (esp in the phrase hard lines )
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rows of tents, buildings, temporary stabling, etc, in a military camp
transport lines
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a defensive position, row of trenches, or other fortification
we broke through the enemy lines
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a school punishment of writing the same sentence or phrase out a specified number of times
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the phrases or sentences so written out
a hundred lines
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to understand or find an implicit meaning in addition to the obvious one
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.
The president, however, was angered that a news outlet, which he did not name, reported that the weapons system officer had gone missing and was stranded behind enemy lines.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026
The Riyadh metro, which opened six lines in late 2024 after years of delays and billions of dollars of cost overruns, is regularly packed at rush hour.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
One of his students even crashes with him for a time, echoing Jimmy’s blurred lines between orderly professionalism and invasive shows of caring.
From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026
He said those visiting can "get the whole boat to themselves for an hour and they can take videos and photos, recite all the lines and crush the cans".
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
What did any of it mean, this whole long day of lines and waits?
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
