line
gb/lˈaɪn/ us/lˈaɪn/
A1
English
~ 300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
A long narrow mark
A long, thin mark or band on a surface.
Usage pattern:
a line on [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'line' with 'row' when referring to people or objects in sequence.
Synonyms
stripe (Often refers to a repeated or decorative band, especially in patterns.)
Antonyms
dot (A small, round mark instead of a long one.)
Collocations
draw a line
|straight line
|dotted line
|horizontal line
Themes
art
|geometry
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She drew a straight line across the page.
- The road was marked with a white line.
- A line of ants marched across the sidewalk.
- Please sign your name on the dotted line.
Learner examples
- Draw a line on the paper.
- There is a red line on the floor.
- I see a black line on the wall.
Noun
A1
entity
2
A queue of people or vehicles
A group of people or cars waiting one after another.
Usage pattern:
stand in line for [something]
Common mistake:
Some learners say 'in the line' instead of 'in line' when referring to queuing in American English.
Synonyms
queue (More common in British English; formal or neutral register.)
Antonyms
crowd (A large group without orderly arrangement.)
Collocations
wait in line
|long line
|form a line
Themes
daily life
|transportation
|daily_life
Examples
- We stood in line for tickets.
- There was a long line at the supermarket checkout.
- Cars formed a line at the toll booth.
Learner examples
- I wait in line for food.
- There is a long line at the shop.
- People stand in line to buy tickets.
Noun
A2
entity
3
A telephone connection
A connection for talking on the phone.
Usage pattern:
a phone line to [place]
Synonyms
connection (General term for being linked for communication.)
Antonyms
disconnection (The state of not being connected.)
Collocations
phone line
|busy line
|landline
Themes
technology
|communication
Examples
- The phone line is down after the storm.
- I couldn’t get through; the line was busy.
- They installed a new phone line.
Learner examples
- The phone line is not working.
- The line is busy now.
- We have two phone lines in the office.
Noun
A1
entity
4
A row of things or people
People or things next to each other in a row.
Usage pattern:
a line of [things/people]
Synonyms
row (Commonly used for horizontal arrangements, especially seating.)
Antonyms
cluster (Objects grouped closely together without linear arrangement.)
Collocations
line of trees
|line of soldiers
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- A line of trees bordered the road.
- The children stood in a straight line.
- There was a line of shops along the street.
Learner examples
- The cars are in a line.
- We stand in a line for the game.
- There is a line of chairs.
Noun
A2
entity
5
A sentence or phrase in dialogue/text
One sentence or phrase from something someone says or writes.
Synonyms
sentence (Grammatically complete unit; not always interchangeable if referring to scripts.)
Collocations
memorize lines
|famous lines
Themes
arts
|media
|communication
|education
Examples
- He forgot his lines during the play.
- That’s my favorite line from the movie.
- She read the first line of the letter aloud.
Learner examples
- I like this line from the book.
- He says a funny line in the film.
- She reads one line from the letter.
Noun
A2
entity
6
A transport route or service
A set path that buses, trains, or other services use again and again.
Synonyms
route (General term for path taken; 'line' often implies an established service.)
Collocations
train line
|bus line
Themes
transportation
|travel
Examples
- The red subway line runs through downtown.
- They extended the bus line to the airport.
- That shipping company operates several lines across the Atlantic.
Learner examples
- I take the blue train line to work.
- The bus line stops here.
- This ship line goes to Japan.
Noun
A2
entity
7
Length of cord, rope, or wire
A long piece of rope, string, wire, etc., used for special jobs.
Synonyms
cord (General term for thick string; 'line' often used for functional purposes like fishing or measuring.)
Collocations
fishing line
|clothes line
Themes
fishing
|tools
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He cast his fishing line into the river.
- Hang the clothes on the line to dry.
- The rescue team threw him a safety line.
Learner examples
- I have a fishing line.
- We put clothes on the line.
- He uses a rope as a safety line.
Verb
B1
action
8
Cover inner surface with material/coating
To put something inside another thing to cover it.
Usage pattern:
line [something] with [material]
Synonyms
cover (General term; 'line' implies covering inside surfaces neatly.)
Collocations
line a pan with paper
Themes
cooking
|crafts
|daily_life
|housing
Examples
- Line the baking tray with parchment paper.
- The box was lined with silk.
- They lined the coat with warm fleece.
Learner examples
- Line the pan with paper.
- The bag is lined with cloth.
- She lines her jacket with soft fabric.
Grammar
Dictionary form
line
IPA
GB/lˈaɪn/
US/lˈaɪn/
Syllables & stress
line (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (line)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: line
- Plural: line, lines
Verb
- Base: line
- 3rd Person Singular: lines
- Present Participle: lining
- Past: lined
Word family
Expressions
draw the line at
1/dɹˈɔ ðə lˈaɪn ˈæt/
idiom
Refuse to go beyond limit/accept something unacceptable
To say that you will not do something because it is too much or wrong for you.
Examples
- I don’t mind helping, but I draw the line at doing your homework for you.
- We have to draw the line at dangerous behavior.
in line with
1/ˈɪn lˈaɪn wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
Matching or agreeing with something else
Similar to or matching something else in idea, rule, or level.
Examples
- His pay rise is in line with company policy.
- The results are in line with our expectations.
on the front lines
1/ˈɔn ðə fɹˈʌnt lˈaɪnz/
idiom
In most active/risky position during conflict/crisis situation
In the most active and dangerous position during a fight, war, or big problem.
Examples
- Nurses are on the front lines of patient care during outbreaks.
- Nurses are on the front lines of patient care.
- Soldiers on the front lines faced heavy fire.
read between the lines
1/ɹˈid bɪtwˈin ðə lˈaɪnz/
idiom
Find hidden meaning in text/speech
To understand a hidden meaning in what someone writes or says.
Examples
- If you read between the lines, you can tell she’s unhappy.
- Reading between the lines, I think they’re planning to move.
read between the lines
1/ɹˈid bɪtwˈin ðə lˈaɪnz/
idiom
Infer hidden meaning
To understand what someone really means, even if they do not say it clearly.
Examples
- If you read between the lines, his email is actually a complaint.
- Reading between the lines, I don't think they want to hire more staff.
- The report sounds positive, but investors read between the lines and became worried.
read between the lines
2/ɹˈid bɪtwˈin ðə lˈaɪnz/
idiom
Understand hidden meaning not stated directly
To understand what someone really means even if they don't say it directly.
Examples
- If you read between the lines, you can tell she’s upset.
- Reading between the lines, his letter sounds like he’s not happy here.