mainline

verb main·line \ ˈmān-ˌlīn \

Updated on: 27 May 2018

Definition of mainline

transitive verb

slang : to take by or as if by injecting into a principal vein

intransitive verb

slang : to mainline a narcotic drug

See mainline defined for English-language learners

Examples of mainline in a Sentence

His addiction grew worse when he began mainlining.

Recent Examples of mainline from the Web

That both doctors vouched for the health of a man who mainlines McDonald's and likes steak and meatloaf is incredible.

— z. byron wolf, CNN, "The surreal tales of Trump's 2 former doctors," 1 May 2018
And no one seemed to be given pause by the fact that the brand’s most famous son had mainlined a fatal speedball just across the street.

— benjamin wallace, HWD, "Can Anyone Repair National Lampoon’s Devastated Brand?," 1 May 2017
Before any stars turned up to rehearse for Sunday's ceremony, crew members were busy putting the finishing touches on the elaborate production, rushing around wearing headsets and mainlining coffee from craft services.

— amy kaufman, latimes.com, "The Oscars turn 90, and the production team leaves no room for error ... this time," 2 Mar. 2018
Working with producer Greg Kurstin—a pop wizard whose credits include Adele, Kelly Clarkson, Sia, Ellie Goulding, and Lily Allen—Beck basically mainlined the top of the charts.

— matt miller, Esquire, "Beck's New Album Is Perfect for a Really Weird Car Commercial," 13 Oct. 2017
There are rappers who mainline the aesthetic and vibrating energy of punk.

— jon caramanica, New York Times, "Lil Uzi Vert and a Generation of Rap Stars Looking Beyond Hip-Hop," 1 Sep. 2017
And no one seemed to be given pause by the fact that the brand’s most famous son had mainlined a fatal speedball just across the street.

— benjamin wallace, HWD, "Can Anyone Repair National Lampoon’s Devastated Brand?," 19 May 2017
Watching Game of Thrones now feels like mainlining a bunch of CW shows like Arrow or Vampire Diaries—or even, sometimes, Jane the Virgin.

— annalee newitz, Ars Technica, "Game of Thrones has become a CW show," 28 Aug. 2017
Soon, us kids were mainlining the hard stuff - Eugene O'Neill and Tennessee Williams - and getting high on Sam Shepard.

— andrea simakis, cleveland.com, "Mamai Theatre Company, with an assist from Thornton Wilder, breathes new life into 'A Doll's House.' (Review)," 24 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mainline.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of mainline

1938

in the meaning defined at transitive sense

See Words from the same year

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mainline

adjective

Definition of mainline

: being part of an established group; also : being in the mainstream

See mainline defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of mainline from the Web

Other mainline Protestant denominations have also had long histories of jousting on the issue.

— tim funk, charlotteobserver, "Will views on same-sex marriage split one of America's largest Protestant religions? | Charlotte Observer," 17 May 2018
Meredith's activism for gay clergy within the mainline Protestant denomination has put him in direct and frequent opposition with some Methodist clergy and laity.

— mark curnutte, Cincinnati.com, "Hate crime? Activist gay minister's seminary diploma stolen from his church," 7 May 2018
Pastors at mainline churches around the country, however, noted an increase in church attendance.

— ian lovett, WSJ, "Politics in the Pews: Anti-Trump Activism Is Reviving Protestant Churches—at a Cost," 4 May 2018
But a recent deal with breakaway Democrats in the Independent Democratic Conference — brokered with help from Cuomo — brought most of the runaways back into the mainline fold.

— jen kirby, Vox, "New York’s special election has already been decided by one rogue Democrat," 24 Apr. 2018
For decades, mainline Protestant denominations had united liberal leaders with more conservative churchgoers.

— david mislin, Smithsonian, "How Vietnam War Protests Accelerated the Rise of the Christian Right," 3 May 2018
Another breakaway group of Democrats, the eight-member Independent Democratic Conference, also supported the Senate's Republican leadership but returned to the mainline Democrats this year under pressure from Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

— amy lieu, Fox News, "GOP keeps control of NY Senate despite Democrat victories," 25 Apr. 2018
But Kinsey drew considerable support from mainline Protestant leaders, Griffith shows.

— linda gordon, The New Republic, "How birth-control leaders found allies in American religious groups," 5 Apr. 2018
State schools and mainline Protestant colleges typically had more money and many Catholic colleges latched onto basketball as their signature sport.

— erik brady, USA TODAY, "Villanova and Loyola reaching Final Four brings to light Catholic embrace of basketball," 28 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of mainline

1941

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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main line

noun

Definition of main line

1 : a principal highway or railroad line

2 slang : a principal vein of the circulatory system

See main line defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of main line from the Web

The completion date for the $2.19 million project, which also includes replacing 300 service lines that connect Dominion Energy Ohio's main lines directly to customers, is Aug. 21.

— john benson, cleveland.com, "Dominion Energy Ohio plans $5 million Lakewood pipeline replacement project," 14 May 2018
In total, Savage x Fenty will be comprised of 90 pieces of lingerie, sleepwear, and accessories, including four capsule collections within the main line.

— steff yotka, Vogue, "Everything You Need to Know About Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty Launch," 9 May 2018
Tree houses with TVs, air conditioners, compostable toilets and tiled showers aren’t unheard of; running water can be piped from the home’s main line, or through a pump system attached to a cistern.

— amy gamerman, WSJ, "Tree Houses for Grown-Ups," 3 May 2018
Water lead levels have improved considerably, especially where pipes from main lines to some 6,200 homes have been replaced.

— eugene scott, Washington Post, "Trump went to Michigan and didn’t talk about Flint," 30 Apr. 2018
The tracks used to be run by BNSF and were originally part of the Great Northern Railway’s main line across the northern tier.

— alan berner, The Seattle Times, "‘Speeder’ helps keep trains running on Ballard’s short line," 28 Apr. 2018
The city constructed a water line across the property line from the Oak Ridge North Business Park to a main line on Hanna Road as part of the planned improvements, Rudy said.

— michelle iracheta, Houston Chronicle, "Oak Ridge North to annex more than 7 acres of land," 30 Mar. 2018
For more information, call the district's main line at 313-294-4750. 5.

— lori higgins, Detroit Free Press, "Schools put technology, safety projects on the line in Tuesday election," 6 May 2018
Gildan’s main line of business is clothing such as T-shirts, underwear and socks.

— sandrine rastello, Bloomberg.com, "American Apparel Is Venturing Back Into Brick-and-Mortar Stores," 3 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'main line.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of main line

1841

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

MAINLINE Defined for English Language Learners

mainline

verb

Definition of mainline for English Language Learners

: to inject (a drug) directly into a vein

mainline

adjective

Definition of mainline for English Language Learners

: belonging to an established and widely accepted group or system

main line

noun

Definition of main line for English Language Learners

: an important highway or railroad line

Medical Dictionary

mainline

verb main·line \ ˈmān-ˈlīn \

medical Definition of mainline

mainlined; mainlining

transitive verb

slang : to take by or as if by injecting into a principal vein

intransitive verb

slang : to mainline a narcotic drug (as heroin)

main line

noun

medical Definition of main line

slang

: a principal vein of the circulatory system

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mainline

Definition of mainline

Examples of mainline in a Sentence

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First Known Use of mainline

mainline

Definition of mainline

Recent Examples of mainline from the Web

First Known Use of mainline

main line

Definition of main line

Recent Examples of main line from the Web

First Known Use of main line

MAINLINE Defined for English Language Learners

mainline

Definition of mainline for English Language Learners

mainline

Definition of mainline for English Language Learners

main line

Definition of main line for English Language Learners

Medical Dictionary

mainline

medical Definition of mainline

main line

medical Definition of main line

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