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

Wild video captured the moment a young fisherman plunged into pounding Southern California surf to wrestle a thrashing shark and free it from his fishing line. —Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2026

Also making headlines early April are reports of a juvenile white shark that got caught on a fishing line at Hermosa Beach. —Paris Barraza, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026

Its front flipper was 90 percent dead from no blood circulation, caused by the fishing line, and a fishing hook was lodged in the back of its mouth. —Julie Sharp, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026

Another turtle the aquarium is treating was found bound to a shopping cart and stroller by fishing line. —Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026

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