sideline

American  

[sahyd-lahyn] / ˈsaɪdˌlaɪn /

noun

1. a line at the side of something.

2. a business or activity pursued in addition to one's primary business; a second occupation.

3. an additional or auxiliary line of goods.

   a grocery store with a sideline of household furnishings.

4. Sports.

   1. either of the two lines defining the side boundaries of a field or court.

   2. sidelines, the area immediately beyond either sideline, where the substitute players sit.

5. sidelines, the position or point of view taken by a person who observes an activity or situation but does not directly participate in it.

---

verb (used with object)

sidelined, sidelining

1. to render incapable of participation, especially in anything involving vigorous, physical action, as a sport.

   An injury to his throwing arm sidelined the quarterback for two weeks.

sideline British  

/ ˈsaɪdˌlaɪn /

noun

1. sport a line that marks the side boundary of a playing area

2. a subsidiary interest or source of income

3. an auxiliary business activity or line of merchandise

---

verb

1. to prevent (a player) from taking part in a game

2. to prevent (a person) from pursuing a particular activity, operation, career, etc

Etymology

Origin of sideline

An Americanism dating back to 1685–95; side ¹ + line ¹

Example Sentences

The Reds said the 36-Test veteran underwent clean-up surgery in Brisbane on Friday and was expected to be sidelined for about six weeks.

From Barron's

After a formative decade at NFL Films, he took what he learned on the sidelines of football games and applied it to documentaries on everything from an Iditarod racer to a Neil Diamond tribute band.

From The Wall Street Journal

Regulatory alignment between the U.S. and Europe has removed jurisdictional uncertainty keeping institutional capital sidelined.

From MarketWatch

Skinner said the problem was likely to keep Toone, 26, sidelined for "six to eight weeks" in total.

From BBC

People who have been on the sidelines of the housing market jumped in to either lock in a better rate to buy a house, or to refinance an existing loan with a much higher rate.

From MarketWatch