assembly-line

1 of 2

adjective

as·​sem·​bly-line ə-ˈsem-blē-ˌlīn 

: made by or as if by an assembly line

especially : lacking originality or creativity

bored by the novel's assembly-line plot

assembly line

2 of 2

noun

1

: an arrangement of machines, equipment, and workers in which work passes from operation to operation in direct line until the product is assembled

2

: a process for turning out a finished product in a mechanically efficient manner

academic assembly lines

Examples of assembly-line in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Volunteers worked quickly to bag the different fruits and vegetables, sorting through crates full of potatoes and packages of tortillas in an assembly-line to bag large totes of food, which would get handed out within a few minutes of being filled. —Elise Fisher, Sacramento Bee, 8 July 2024

Foxconn generally outsources its recruitment of assembly-line workers to third-party vendors. —Beth Greenfield, Fortune Asia, 2 July 2024

Noun

On one of two current assembly lines—an American classics line will make three—Jaguar E-Types are being converted to electric drive, clamshell bonnets open to reveal battery packs below. —Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 13 July 2024

Some episodes don’t work at all, while others feel merely adequate — the clear products of a creative team that had to keep the assembly line moving, no matter what. —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 12 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1925, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1914, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

assembly line

noun

: an arrangement of machines, equipment, and workers in which work passes from operation to operation in direct line until the product is assembled