definitions

dotted line

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noun

a line on a contract or similar document for a party's signature.
a line at which a sheet of paper is perforated or a piece of it is to be detached.

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Nearby words

doth, dothan, doting, dotingly, dotted, dotted line, dotted swiss, dotterel, dottie, dottle, dotty

Idioms

    signature on the dotted line, full agreement to terms and conditions.
    sign on the dotted line, to agree fully to terms or conditions.

Origin of dotted line

First recorded in 1770–75
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for sign on the dotted line

dotted line

noun

a line of dots or dashes on a form or document
sign on the dotted line to agree formally, esp by signing one's name on a document
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with sign on the dotted line

sign on the dotted line

Agree formally or fully, as in The deal is just about fixed; all they have to do is sign on the dotted line. This idiom refers to the broken line traditionally appearing at the bottom of a legal document, indicating the place for one's signature. [Early 1900s]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.