Idioms for line

Origin of line

1
before 1000; Middle English li(g)ne cord, rope, stroke, series, guiding rule, partly < Old French ligne ≪ Latin līnea, noun use of feminine of līneus flaxen (orig. applied to string), equivalent to līn(um) flax (see line2) + -eus -eous, partly continuing Old English līne string, row, series < Latin, as above

OTHER WORDS FROM line

lin·a·ble, line·a·ble, adjective line·less, adjective line·like, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for read between the lines (1 of 2)

line 1
/ (laɪn) /

noun

verb

See also lines, line-up

Derived forms of line

linable or lineable, adjective lined, adjective linelike, adjective liny or liney, adjective

Word Origin for line

C13: partly from Old French ligne, ultimately from Latin līnea, n use of līneus flaxen, from līnum flax; partly from Old English līn, ultimately also from Latin līnum flax

British Dictionary definitions for read between the lines (2 of 2)

line 2
/ (laɪn) /

verb (tr)

to attach an inside covering to (a garment, curtain, etc), as for protection, to hide the seaming, or so that it should hang well
to cover or fit the inside of to line the walls with books
to fill plentifully a purse lined with money
to reinforce the back of (a book) with fabric, paper, etc

Word Origin for line

C14: ultimately from Latin līnum flax, since linings were often made of linen

Medical definitions for read between the lines

line
[ līn ]

n.

Scientific definitions for read between the lines

line
[ līn ]

A geometric figure formed by a point moving in a fixed direction and in the reverse direction. The intersection of two planes is a line.♦ The part of a line that lies between two points on the line is called a line segment.

Cultural definitions for read between the lines (1 of 2)

read between the lines

To pay attention to what is implied in writing or in speech.

Cultural definitions for read between the lines (2 of 2)

line

A set of points that have one dimension — length — but no width or height. (See coordinates.)

Idioms and Phrases with read between the lines (1 of 2)

read between the lines

Perceive or detect a hidden meaning, as in They say that everything's fine, but reading between the lines I suspect they have some marital problems. This term comes from cryptography, where in one code reading every second line of a message gives a different meaning from that of the entire text. [Mid-1800s]

Idioms and Phrases with read between the lines (2 of 2)

line