adj
Meaning 1
Normal, principal or standard.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: mainstream
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
mainline
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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/ˈmeɪnˌlaɪn/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: M EY1 N L AY2 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adj
Meaning 2
Not fundamentalist, charismatic or evangelical.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, not-comparable
Topics: Christianity, Protestantism, lifestyle, religion
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 3
Of or pertaining to the principal route or line of a railway.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Topics: rail-transport, railways, transport
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 4
Of or pertaining to a surface-level heavy rail system as distinct from an underground, elevated or light rail one.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Topics: rail-transport, railways, transport
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 5
Of or pertaining to national or long-distance rail network operators as opposed to urban and suburban operators.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Topics: rail-transport, railways, transport
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 6
Pertaining to a direct route between two major ports.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Topics: economics, sciences, shipping, transport
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: feeder
adj
Meaning 7
Of a sequence of opening moves: being part of a main line ("a standard sequence of opening moves considered to be best play").
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Topics: board-games, chess, games
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 8
An airline's main operating unit, as opposed to codeshares or regional subsidiaries.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: aeronautics, aerospace, aviation, business, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 9
The principal route or line of a railway.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: rail-transport, railways, transport
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 10
In longline fishing the central line to which the branch lines with baits are attached.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: fishing, hobbies, lifestyle
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 11
The pipeline carrying wastewater to the public drains or a septic tank.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: business, construction, manufacturing, plumbing
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 12
A principal vein into which a drug can be injected.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: slang
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 13
The main repository for a software project, from which different versions (forks) may be split off.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 14
Alternative form of main line.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of, alternative
Topics: board-games, chess, games
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 15
The general population of a prison.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: genpop
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 16
To inject (a drug) directly into a vein.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: slang
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: main
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 17
To consume voraciously.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, informal, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 18
To integrate (code, etc.) into the main repository for a software project, rather than separate forks.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 19
To include (a prisoner) in the general population of a prison.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 20
inject into the vein
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- She is mainlining heroin
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: inject
History
Etymology
From main + line.
Across languages
Translations
9 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Esperanto: ĉeftendenca — normal, principal, or standard
- Swedish: stambana — (rail transport) the principal route
- Finnish: päärata — principal railway line
- German: Hauptbahn — principal railway line
- German: Haupteisenbahnstrecke — principal railway line
- Hungarian: fővonal — principal railway line
- Finnish: selkäsiima — fishing: central line of a longline
- Galician: madre — fishing: central line of a longline
- Galician: estrallo — fishing: central line of a longline
Real reading context