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main·line | \ ˈmān-ˌlīn 
\
\mainlined; mainlining; mainlines
Definition of mainline
(Entry 1 of 3)
slang : to take by or as if by injecting into a principal vein
slang : to mainline a narcotic drug
mainline
adjectiveDefinition of mainline (Entry 2 of 3)
: being part of an established group also : being in the mainstream
main line
nounDefinition of main line (Entry 3 of 3)
1 : a principal highway or railroad line
2 slang : a principal vein of the circulatory system
Examples of mainline in a Sentence
Verb
His addiction grew worse when he began mainlining.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Watching Game of Thrones now feels like mainlining a bunch of CW shows like Arrow or Vampire Diaries—or even, sometimes, Jane the Virgin.
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Nathan Mattise, Ars Technica, "Watchmen, not Game of Thrones, proved to be HBO’s show of the decade," 16 Dec. 2019 Hook up a bunch of preschoolers to brain scanners and show them the movie, and the data would probably look similar to scans of a bunch of Fox News nightmare uncles mainlining Hannity.
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BostonGlobe.com, "For a 3-year-old fanatic, there’s no letting go of ‘Frozen’ - The Boston Globe," 31 Oct. 2019 Ideal conditions to mainline some headlines before starting the day.
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Heidi Stevens, chicagotribune.com, "Column: Inspired by an 11-year-old girl, the question we should all be asking each other," 14 Aug. 2019 But in 2003, James and his bandmates already seemed to be mainlining the same influences as the jam bands on Bonnaroo’s neighboring stages, channeling elements of the Dead, the Band, the Allman Brothers, maybe even a squirt of Parliament-Funkadelic.
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Chris Richards, Washington Post, "After a long, strange trip ... all your indie faves are jam bands now," 6 June 2019 In a city that mainlines major brands, d3 is a welcome change.
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Laura Ratliff, Condé Nast Traveler, "10 Best Shops in Dubai," 5 Mar. 2018 That both doctors vouched for the health of a man who mainlines McDonald's and likes steak and meatloaf is incredible.
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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.
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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.
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Amy Kaufman, latimes.com, "The Oscars turn 90, and the production team leaves no room for error ... this time," 2 Mar. 2018 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective The only state ferry still operating is the shuttle between Ketchikan and Metlakatla; no mainline ferries will be available until at least March.
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James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News, "Coastal Alaskans protest, urging Legislature and governor to fix a growing ferry transportation crisis," 12 Feb. 2020 This year, American’s profit-sharing program will give $213 million in bonuses to 130,000 employees at its mainline and regional divisions.
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Dallas News, "American Airlines is transforming the way it shares profits with employees," 7 Feb. 2020 Americans may have drifted toward full inclusion for LGBTQ people, yet since the 1960s fewer have attended mainline churches.
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Scott T. Vehstedt, The Conversation, "Gay rights dispute is pulling apart the United Methodist Church, after decades of argument," 27 Jan. 2020 According to one study, less than 4 in 10 millennials raised in a mainline Protestant church stay there.
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Daniel Burke, CNN, "The Methodist Church will probably split in two over homosexuality, and that's bad for all of us," 17 Jan. 2020 Flights to Dulles and Newark, both United hubs, are more likely to be on larger, mainline aircraft.
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Susan Glaser, cleveland, "United Airlines dropping nonstop service from Cleveland Hopkins to LaGuardia, Reagan National," 16 Jan. 2020 In that time frame, mainline Protestant multiracial congregations rose from 1% to 11%; their Catholic counterparts rose from 17% to 24%; and evangelical Protestant multiracial congregations rose from 7% to 23%.
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Washington Post, "Multiracial churches growing, challenge for clergy of color," 16 Jan. 2020 Delta says its mainline operation had 281 days with zero cancellations last year, 30 more than in 2018.
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Scott Mccartney, WSJ, "The Best and Worst U.S. Airlines of 2019," 15 Jan. 2020 The 5-ton truck is used for mainline plow service during the winter, with a salt spreader or tanker for pretreatment deicing of the roads.
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John Benson, cleveland, "North Olmsted Service Department plans to buy new dump truck, sidewalk plow and front-end loader," 10 Jan. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The nation was riveted when former White House official Fiona Hill went to Congress in November and dismantled a main line of the president’s defense in the impeachment inquiry.
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Mark Kennedy, Twin Cities, "Top 12 TV moments from 2019," 13 Dec. 2019 The lower portion is from that point to the main line.
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Kathleen Pender, SFChronicle.com, "San Francisco deal offers water and sewer insurance: What homeowners need to know," 25 Jan. 2020 Forecasters will be watching for the potential for supercell storms to develop ahead of the main line, but that threat appeared to lessen some for much of the state.
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Leigh Morgan, al, "Widespread severe weather possible today in Alabama; 2 tornado watches issued," 11 Jan. 2020 Deep-water presentations often call for a braided main line to ensure positive hooksets at long distances.
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Outdoor Life, "How To Rig Your Ice Fishing Rods And Reels For Any Fish," 20 Dec. 2019 The nation was riveted when former White House official Fiona Hill went to Congress in November and dismantled a main line of the president’s defense in the impeachment inquiry.
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Mark Kennedy, Twin Cities, "Top 12 TV moments from 2019," 13 Dec. 2019 The nation was riveted when former White House official Fiona Hill went to Congress in November and dismantled a main line of the president’s defense in the impeachment inquiry.
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Washington Post, "The Associated Press picks the top moments on TV from 2019," 10 Dec. 2019 Most commuter trains on the Worcester main line would probably whiz by in that scenario.
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BostonGlobe.com, "On Monday night, a MassDOT spokeswoman offered some hope for a new path: She said in an e-mail that the project team is “reassessing the 3 track station and a 4 track configuration” to ensure West Station is robust enough to accommodate the frequent service laid out in the Rail Vision study.," 17 Dec. 2019 The 9-piece collection also comes in at a lower price point than her main line.
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Kerry Pieri, Harper's BAZAAR, "Being an Eco Fashion Warrior Isn't Easy But Maggie Marilyn Has an Idea," 23 Nov. 2019
See MoreThese 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.
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More Definitions for mainline
mainline
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of mainline
(Entry 1 of 3)
slang : to inject (a drug) directly into a vein
mainline
adjectiveEnglish Language Learners Definition of mainline (Entry 2 of 3)
chiefly US : belonging to an established and widely accepted group or system
main line
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of main line (Entry 3 of 3)
: an important highway or railroad line
See the full definition for main line in the English Language Learners Dictionary
mainline
verbmain·line | \ ˈmān-ˈlīn \
\mainlined; mainlining
Medical Definition of mainline
(Entry 1 of 2)
slang : to take by or as if by injecting into a principal vein
slang : to mainline a narcotic drug (as heroin)
main line
nounMedical Definition of main line (Entry 2 of 2)
slang
: a principal vein of the circulatory system
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Time Traveler for mainline
The first known use of mainline was in 1841
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