service line

American  

noun

1. Tennis. the rear boundary of a service court.

2. a line running parallel to the front wall in certain court games, as handball or squash, that marks a boundary of the service area.

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service line British  

noun

1. the line at the back of the court behind which the server must stand when serving

2. a line indicating the boundary of a permissible service, as on the backwall of a squash court

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Etymology

Origin of service line

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

Somewhere on that paperwork will be a number to call — ideally for a life insurance agent who sold the policy to your parents, but it may be a more generic customer service line.

From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026

When Brad Collett heard about Citi’s new Strata Elite credit card—with perks like airport lounge access and a dedicated service line for top-tier customers—he decided to splurge on his first premium card.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025

He also called the customer service line but he said the person on the other end of the line couldn’t definitively tell him whether his home would lose power or not.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 3, 2024

"For instance, for lead, guided waves along the pipe are slower since lead bulk wave speeds are much lower than speeds of other service line materials."

From Science Daily • Mar. 7, 2024

One day, though, when I was assigned seating duty, I saw Grandma head out of the service line with his tray and aim straight for the regular tables.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover