mainline
Americanverb (used without object)
-
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)
-
to inject (a narcotic, especially heroin) directly into a vein.
-
to use, enjoy, or imbibe (something) without restriction.
mainlining coffee all day long.
adjective
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.
He used to present as a staid mainline Episcopalian, but now he denounces that church and speaks of being “mauled by demons.”
From Salon
There had been nothing going out on the West Coast mainline and hardly any announcements, she said.
From BBC
The tax burden would be disproportionately felt by progressive mainline Protestant churches, Black evangelical churches and immigrant-majority Catholic and Protestant congregations, not to mention immigrant-majority mosques and temples.
From Salon
Alexander told BBC Breakfast that BTP officers would increase visible patrols at mainline stations over the coming days "because I do understand that people will want to feel reassured following what happened".
From BBC
Alaska faced a similar outage just three months ago when a critical piece of hardware at a data center failed, bringing down its systems and forcing it to cancel about 10% of its mainline schedule.
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.
