fishing line

noun

: a long line or cord attached to a hook and used for fishing

also : the type of line designed for this purpose

a length of fishing line

—used specifically for a strong, usually monofilament cord made from a polymer (such as nylon or Dacron)

… is held firm in the pot by plaster of paris and covered with sphagnum moss bound with clear fishing line.

—Patricia Leigh Brown

Just about any string, cord or thread will do for a kite line, but because the best line supplied adequate strength with minimal wind resistance and weight, a thin, strong line is clearly better than a thick, weak one. Monofilament fishing line has both qualities, but many kiters shun it for the same reason fishermen curse it: it gets hopelessly tangled up in itself.

—Robert Kimber

Examples of fishing line in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Aquarium staff said the turtle was rescued last March after volunteers with the Southern California Sea Turtle Monitoring Project found the turtle stuck, with fishing line wrapped around its flipper, preventing it from swimming away. —Julie Sharp, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026

His fishing lines drop through the floor of the RV’s full kitchen. —Stephanie Pearson, Outside, 14 Jan. 2026

Pure and simple, open-ended as a fishing line. —David Searcy, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025

Stockings filled with dog or human hair, windchimes, pie tins, or old CDs held aloft on a string, and fishing line installed around garden perimeters are also used to repel deer and rabbits. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fishing line

• acridine
• alkaline
• andesine
• anodyne
• anticline
• arginine
• asinine
• atropine
• benzidine
• borderline
• byzantine
• calamine