a principal line or route of a railroad, as contrasted with a branch or secondary one.
a principal highway.
Slang.
a prominent and readily accessible vein of the body that may be used for a narcotic's injection.
the act of mainlining.
a fashionable residential district west of Philadelphia.
any fashionable district where socially prominent people live.
railways
the trunk route between two points, usually fed by branch lines
( as modifier )
a main-line station
a main road
First recorded in 1835–45
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The extensive corroborating evidence is just one way the prosecution is cutting off the defense’s main line of attack.
From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2024
Land near Handsacre will still be protected, which is where a connection will be built linking HS2 to the main line, on which HS2 trains will now travel on to Manchester using conventional tracks.
From BBC • Jan. 24, 2024
Bathtubs and showers cost a bit more, usually starting around $225, and a sewer main line is the most expensive, especially if there are a lot of roots blocking it up.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 22, 2024
It said de-icing fluid would be applied to keep critical junctions open and "proactive changes" on the Highland main line had already protected remote junctions from signal failure.
From BBC • Jan. 15, 2024
It was the main line from Venice to Trieste, with a high solid embankment, a solid roadbed and double track.
From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway
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.
