mainline
[ meyn-lahyn, -lahyn ]
/ ˈmeɪnˌlaɪn, -ˈlaɪn /
Save This Word!
verb (used without object), main·lined, main·lin·ing.Slang.
to inject a narcotic, especially heroin, directly into a vein.
to use or enjoy something without restriction: to mainline on TV movies.
verb (used with object), main·lined, main·lin·ing.Slang.
to inject (a narcotic, especially heroin) directly into a vein.
to use, enjoy, or imbibe (something) without restriction: mainlining coffee all day long.
adjective
having a principal, established, or widely accepted position; major; mainstream: the membership of mainline churches.
QUIZ
GOOSES. GEESES. I WANT THIS QUIZ ON PLURAL NOUNS!
Test how much you really know about regular and irregular plural nouns with this quiz.
Question 1 of 9
Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?
Origin of mainline
1935–40, Americanism; v., adj. use of main line
Other definitions for mainline (2 of 3)
main line
noun
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.
Origin of main line
First recorded in 1835–45
Other definitions for mainline (3 of 3)
Main Line
noun
a fashionable residential district west of Philadelphia.
any fashionable district where socially prominent people live.
OTHER WORDS FROM Main Line
Main-Line, adjectiveMain-Liner, nounDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use mainline in a sentence
Gardiner and company understand that this theatrically undernourished moment is one in which an audience wants to mainline old favorites.
Sondheim revue provides exhilarating warmth in cold, trying times|Peter Marks|February 1, 2021|Washington PostIt speaks to how much “Assassin’s Creed” has evolved and changed over its 13-year history and 12 mainline games.
Over the course of those 20 years, four mainline games, and dozens of spinoffs, The Sims has charmed millions of fans, made more than $5 billion, and even changed lives.
'It Nearly Brings Me to Tears.' 20 Years On, The Sims' Diehard Fans Could Never Let Go|Matthew Gault|March 16, 2020|TimeOr was he "mainlining the secret truth of the universe" again?
British Dictionary definitions for mainline
main line
noun
railways
- the trunk route between two points, usually fed by branch lines
- (as modifier)a main-line station
US a main road
verb mainline
(intr) slang to inject a drug into a vein
adjective mainline
having an important position, esp having responsibility for the main areas of activity
Derived forms of main line
mainliner, nounCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012