longline

noun

long·​line ˈlȯŋ-ˌlīn How to pronounce longline (audio)
-ˈlīn
: a heavy fishing line that may be many miles long and that has baited hooks in series

Examples of longline in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Off the coast of Veracruz, Mexico, fishermen attached hunks of bonito fish to a longline and dropped it in the water. Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 10 June 2025 Scott Taylor, captain of the boat the longline belonged to, called the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and sought a criminal investigation. Hannah Phillips, USA Today, 4 June 2025 The longline belonged to one of only five vessels in the world permitted by NOAA to harvest sandbar sharks for research, the Post reported. Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 30 May 2025 Some gear, like longlines left out too long or trawl nets dragged for hours, increases the chance that a shark won’t survive the encounter. Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for longline

Word History

First Known Use

1688, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of longline was in 1688

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Longline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/longline. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on longline

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!