Wallace's line

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noun Zoogeography.

an imaginary line that separates the Oriental and Australian zoogeographical regions and passes between Bali and Lombok, west of Celebes, and east of the Philippines.

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Origin of Wallace's line

First recorded in 1865–70; after A. R. Wallace

Words nearby Wallace's line

wallaba, wallaby, Wallace, Wallaceburg, Wallace, George, Wallace's line, Wallach, Wallachia, Wallachian, wallah, wallaroo

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use Wallace's line in a sentence

Domestically, the prime minister maintains the dubious line that he is the only man who can keep the still-fragile peace.
Cambodia’s Smoke-and-Mirrors Democracy|David Shaftel|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Last week I turned 40, a bittersweet occasion because I crossed the line to living longer without my mother than with her.
Everyone at This Dinner Party Has Lost Someone|Samantha Levine|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Completed in 1953 and composed with standard line breaks and punctuation, the book was completely ignored upon submission.
The Lost Novel of Nobel-Winner José Saramago|Charles Shafaieh|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Is it any wonder that the interests of large corporations and unions get to the front of the line?
The 100 Rich People Who Run America|Mark McKinnon|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST

In the end, the line between magic and religion may be something of an artificial one.
Harry Potter and the Torah of Terror|Candida Moss, Joel Baden|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In this position, the line of cavalry formed the chord of the arc described by the river, and occupied by us.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
Our talk ranged from the Panhandle to the Canada line, while our horses jogged steadily southward.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
I have drawn a Line between the figures at the extream changes, that next below the Line is the extream.
Tintinnalogia, or, the Art of Ringing|Richard Duckworth and Fabian Stedman
My station was on the right of the line, where the breastwork, ending in a redoubt, was steep and high.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
The engineer officer charged with preparing the line of retreat reported that the one bridge across the Elster was not sufficient.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison

British Dictionary definitions for Wallace's line

Wallace's line

noun

the hypothetical boundary between the Oriental and Australasian zoogeographical regions, which runs between the Indonesian islands of Bali and Lombok, through the Macassar Strait, and SE of the Philippines

Word Origin for Wallace's line

C20: named after Alfred Russel Wallace

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