n. Flax.n. Specifically, in technical use— Flax of the longer and fine staple, separated from the shorter by the hackle and prepared for spinning.n. A hat-makers' pad or brush, now usually of padded velvet, for smoothing the nap of hats.n. Cloth of flax; linen.n. Linen apparel; apparel generally.n. A thread, string, cord, or small rope of any kind, especially one designed for some particular use, as a fishing-line, measuring-line, clothes-line, a bowline, a hauling-line, etc.n. Specifically— A cord used as a guide or marker in stonework or carpentry; a chalk-line or marking-line.n. plural A lot or portion marked off by or as by a measuring-line; hence, fortune; condition.n. plural The reins or thongs by which one guides a horse in driving.n. Anything which resembles a thread or string in tenuity and extension.n. Specifically—(a A thread-like mark, as one made with a pen, pencil, or graving-tool; a mark having length with little appreciable breadth; a stroke; a score.n. In musical notation: One of the horizontal strokes or marks that constitute the staff. The usual staff consists of five such lines, that for Gregorian music of four, while larger numbers of lines have also been used. The lines are numbered from below upward. The lines and the spaces between them are collectively called degrees. The pitches to which the several degrees are assigned depend upon the clef and the signature placed at the head of the staff. When it is necessary temporarily to increase the compass of the staff above or below, added or leger lines are used, which are numbered up or down from the staff proper. See notation, staff, and leger.n. A short dash or stroke used in figured bass to indicate that a tone of a previous chord is to be continued without regard to its harmonic connection into a second chord. See figured bass, under bass.n. A wavy horizontal mark, preceded by the letters 8va, added above or below a passage to indicate that it is to be played an octave above or below the pitch at which it is written. The end of such a transposition is indicated by the word loco, ‘in place,’ or simply by the termination of the line.n. A wavy vertical mark to the left of the notes of a chord, to indicate that the chord is to be played arpeggio.n. A seam or furrow on the face or hands. Such seams in the hands are the basis of palmistry. See phrases below.n. In mathematics: The limit of a surface; a length without breadth.n. In higher geom., a right line, ray, or axis; a curve of the first order.n. Outline; contour; lineament; configuration: as, a ship of fine lines.n. A limit; division; boundary.n. A row; a continued series or rank: as, a line of trees or of buildings.n. A straight row of letters and words between two margins: as, a page of thirty lines.n. In poetry, a succession of feet (colon or period), consisting of words written or printed in one row; a verse. A line or verse is no definite prosodic group of feet, but may consist of a single colon or of two cola, the ordinary width of a page or column generally limiting its length. Short verses or cola are sometimes printed as single lines, or combined in pairs to constitute one line. The name line is sometimes extended to verses slightly exceeding the printed line in length, but marked by indention and want of Initial capital as one verse. In ancient prosody a line (versus, στίχος) was conventionally determined to be a dicolic meter or period, or a monocolic period of eighteen or more moræ in magnitude. A shorter period was called a colon or a comma. Abbreviated l.n. Hence— plural Any piece of writing, as a letter, or an actor's part in the dialogue of a play; specifically, a short or occasional poem, or poetry in general.n. A short letter—one as it were consisting of only a line of writing; a note: as, I received a line from my friend.n. plural Same as marriage lines.
