Dictionary

mainline en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈmeɪnˌlaɪn/

Etymology

From main + line.

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) Normal, principal or standard.
2. (US, not-comparable) Not fundamentalist, charismatic or evangelical.
   • This doesn’t necessarily mean Christians are joining mainline congregations — the survey measures self-identification, not church affiliation. It is, nevertheless, a striking turnabout after years when mainline Protestantism was considered moribund and evangelical Christianity full of dynamism. 2021 July 9, Michelle Goldberg, “The Christian Right Is in Decline, and It’s Taking America With It”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
   • At a time when mainline denominations are engaged in massive closures of small rural churches, independent charismatics are strategically helping to rechurch rural Canada. 2010, Steven M. Studebaker, Pentecostalism and Globalization:
3. (not-comparable) Of or pertaining to the principal route or line of a railway.
4. (not-comparable) Of or pertaining to a surface-level heavy rail system as distinct from an underground, elevated or light rail one.
5. (not-comparable) Of or pertaining to national or long-distance rail network operators as opposed to urban and suburban operators.
   • Merseyrail and mainline services affected by downpour with more heavy rain forecast 2019 June 12, Ben Turner, “Liverpool weather forecast: Trains hit by flooding as rain set to batter Merseyside”, in Liverpool Echo:
   • Well-publicised flexible ticketing options are needed for both visitors and workers, integrated across the entire journey: from outside the capital all the way into central London, considering both TfL and mainline rail services. 2021, Heart of London Business Alliance, “Written Evidence in "Supporting our high streets after COVID-19"”, in UK Parliament:
6. (not-comparable) Pertaining to a direct route between two major ports.
7. (not-comparable) Of a sequence of opening moves: being part of a main line ("a standard sequence of opening moves considered to be best play").
   • After 3 e5 the Czech Benoni Defense is created. Unlike the mainline 3 e6, which aims for tactical counterplay in the center, Black aims for solidity there. He will choose later what flank to attack on. 2006 May 7, Robert Byrne, “For Most Players, Speed Chess Is Like a Keystone Kops Melee”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 01 Feb 2023:
   • Short's pragmatic approach to the match was to avoid mainline theory and the teenager's computer preparation. 2010 May 21, Leonard Barden, “Nigel Short shows benefit of experience during series with Anish Giri”, in The Guardian:
   • The first classical game featured a fairly mainline Nimzo-Indian Defense, with the players following one of So's October 2021 games until move 20. 2022 April 4, Luci Kelemen, “Wesley So wins third leg of FIDE Grand Prix 2022 over Nakamura”, in Dot Esports, archived from the original on 30 Dec 2022:

Forms

Antonyms

feeder

Synonyms

mainstream

Translations (3)

sv stambana ((rail transport) the principal route) · ru магистраль ((rail transport) the principal route) · eo ĉeftendenca (normal, principal, or standard)

mainline en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈmeɪnˌlaɪn/

Etymology

From main + line.

Meanings

1. An airline's main operating unit, as opposed to codeshares or regional subsidiaries.
2. The principal route or line of a railway.
3. In longline fishing the central line to which the branch lines with baits are attached.
4. The pipeline carrying wastewater to the public drains or a septic tank.
   • In addition, opportunities exist for the introduction of these organisms into a system by means of broken or corroded piping, repair of existing mainlines, installation of new mains, back siphonage, and cross-connections, any of which may result in contamination of the water supply. 2013, Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, page 80:
   • Many plumbers will tell you they don't go off property since that is the local water company's responsibility. Most local water companies would prefer that, if a line is snaked, it is snaked all the way to the mainline connection. 2007, Melvin Ladon White, Property Owner's Sewer and Drain Guide, page 31:
5. (slang) A principal vein into which a drug can be injected.
   • I'm searching for my mainline / I said I couldn't hit it sideways 1968, “Sister Ray”, in Lou Reed (lyrics), White Light/White Heat, performed by The Velvet Underground:
6. The main repository for a software project, from which different versions (forks) may be split off.
7. (alt-of, alternative) Alternative form of main line.
   alt of main line
   • 8. ...Qe7! is the mainline and Black unpins with Nc6-d8-e6 […] 2005 November 13, Malcolm Pein, “The Sunday chess column”, in The Daily Telegraph, archived from the original on 06 Jul 2016:
8. The general population of a prison.

Forms

Coordinates

trunk line

Synonyms

genpop

Translations (7)

gl estrallo (fishing: central line of a longline) · fi päärata (principal railway line) · fi selkäsiima (fishing: central line of a longline) · de Haupteisenbahnstrecke (principal railway line) · de Hauptbahn (principal railway line) · gl madre (fishing: central line of a longline) · hu fővonal (principal railway line)

mainline en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈmeɪnˌlaɪn/

Etymology

From main + line.

Meanings

1. (slang) To inject (a drug) directly into a vein.
   • The patient skinpopped for 1½ years and then started to mainline heroin. 1968, Richard Brotman, Alfred M. Freedman, A Community Mental Health Approach to Drug Addiction, page 97:
2. (broadly, informal, transitive) To consume voraciously.
   • Last month, she lamented that her busy campaign schedule had kept her from mainlining Amazon’s new “Rings of Power” series. 2022 September 21, Jason Horowitz, “Hobbits and the Hard Right: How Fantasy Inspires Italy’s Potential New Leader”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
3. (transitive) To integrate (code, etc.) into the main repository for a software project, rather than separate forks.
4. (transitive) To include (a prisoner) in the general population of a prison.

Forms

Deriveds

mainlining · mainliner

Synonyms

main