TOP

Definition of line verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

line

verb
 
/laɪn/
 
/laɪn/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they line
 
/laɪn/
 
/laɪn/
he / she / it lines
 
/laɪnz/
 
/laɪnz/
past simple lined
 
/laɪnd/
 
/laɪnd/
past participle lined
 
/laɪnd/
 
/laɪnd/
-ing form lining
 
/ˈlaɪnɪŋ/
 
/ˈlaɪnɪŋ/
Idioms Phrasal Verbs
jump to other results

    cover inside

  1. line something to cover the inside of something with a layer of another material, especially to keep it clean or make it stronger
    • Butter and line a 25 cm cake tin.
    • line something with something Line the pan with greaseproof paper.
    • a coat lined with silk
    Extra Examples
    • Cut a circle of parchment paper to line the mould.
    • She lines the drawers with old wallpaper.
    • Last week's newspaper is used to line the bottom of the cat's litter tray.
    • I lined the sides of the box with black card.
    • He lined the inside of the storage compartment with a scrap piece of vinyl flooring.
    • Prepare a small loaf tin by lining it with foil.
    • Line the bottom of the baking dish with the tomatoes.
    • Place on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper.
    • Arrange the skewers on a grill rack lined with foil.
    • I lined the curtains with heavy cotton.
    • The boots are lined with fur.
    • The inside of the box is lined in red velvet.
    • When you tear one of the pods open, you can see that the inside is lined with a cottony padding.
    • The skirt is not lined so it tends to cling.
  2. line something to form a layer on the inside of something
    • the membranes that line the nose
    • White tiles line the walls.
    Extra Examples
    • A thin layer of dough lines the bottom of the casserole before the rice is put in.
    • Timber panels line the walls.
    • Terracotta floor tiles line the hallway.
    • The soil that lines the bottom of a sinkhole is often thin.
    • Broken glass lined the footwell of the car.
  3. form rows

  4. to form lines or rows along something
    • line something Crowds lined the streets to watch the race.
    • Trees line the road on both sides.
    • Jars line the shelves.
    • be lined with something The walls were lined with books.
    see also lined
    Extra Examples
    • Cheering spectators lined the route.
    • Entering the room, one is struck by the heavy gilt-framed paintings lining its walls.
    • Willows and elder trees line the riverbanks.
    • The pavements are lined with shady trees.
    • New industrial parks line both sides of the highway.
    • Shops and restaurants line the sidewalk.
    • Two tiers of box seats lined the sides of the auditorium.
    • I found the girl hiding in the shrubbery lining the path.
    • walkways lined with roses
    • a hallway lined with classrooms
    • They walked along a corridor lined with paintings.
    • Small fishing communities line the shore.
    • Jamaica's northern shores are lined by many miles of lovely white sand beaches.
  5. Word Originverb senses 1 to 2 late Middle English: from obsolete line ‘flax’, with reference to the common use of linen for linings.verb sense 3 Old English līne ‘rope, series’, probably of Germanic origin, from Latin linea (fibra) ‘flax (fibre)’, from Latin linum ‘flax’, reinforced in Middle English by Old French ligne, based on Latin linea.
Idioms
line your (own)/somebody’s pockets
  1. to get richer or make somebody richer, especially by taking unfair advantage of a situation or by being dishonest
    • Health services are lining the drug companies’ pockets, according to the report.
See line in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee line in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
alloy
noun
 
 
From the Topic
Physics and chemistry
C2
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day