mainline
Americanverb (used without object)
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to inject a narcotic, especially heroin, directly into a vein.
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to use or enjoy something without restriction.
to mainline on TV movies.
verb (used with object)
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to inject (a narcotic, especially heroin) directly into a vein.
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to use, enjoy, or imbibe (something) without restriction.
mainlining coffee all day long.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has mainlinedperfect 3rd person singular
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have mainlinedperfect
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has been mainliningperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been mainliningperfect progressive
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are mainliningprogressive
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is mainliningprogressive 3rd person singular
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mainlinessingular 3rd person
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am mainliningprogressive 1st person singular
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mainliningparticiple
Past
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had mainlinedperfect
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had been mainliningperfect progressive
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was mainliningprogressive singular
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mainlinedsimple
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mainlinedparticiple
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were mainliningprogressive plural
Future
Etymology
Origin of mainline
1935–40, v., adj. use of main line
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.
Is there any scope to speed up the delivery of new stations along the south Wales mainline, the first of which aren't projected to get underway until 2029?
From BBC • May 29, 2026
In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, Maybach was reorganized as Mercedes-Maybach—a sub-brand building small numbers of technically evolved, superluxury variants of mainline products.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026
It could have come to life as a lesser kind of Ferrari, a diminished derivative of one of the company’s mainline GT cars, with a turbocharged V8 under the hood.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026
It is the main station for all services on the west coast mainline to England and also operates services throughout central Scotland.
From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026
Of a student body of 5,700, about 400 participate in one of three evangelical student groups—more than the number of active mainline Protestants, the campus chaplain says.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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.
