hold the line

H h

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
- [hohld stressed th ee lahyn]
- /hoʊld stressed ði laɪn/
- /həʊld ðə laɪn/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [hohld stressed th ee lahyn]
- /hoʊld stressed ði laɪn/

Definitions of hold the line words

noun hold the line a mark or stroke long in proportion to its breadth, made with a pen, pencil, tool, etc., on a surface: a line down the middle of the page. 1
noun hold the line Mathematics. a continuous extent of length, straight or curved, without breadth or thickness; the trace of a moving point. 1
noun hold the line something arranged along a line, especially a straight line; a row or series: a line of trees. 1
noun hold the line a number of persons standing one behind the other and waiting their turns at or for something; queue. 1
noun hold the line something resembling a traced line, as a band of color, a seam, or a furrow: lines of stratification in rock. 1
noun hold the line a furrow or wrinkle on the face, neck, etc.: lines around the eyes. 1

See all 85 definitions of hold the line

Information block about the term

Origin of hold the line

First appearance:

before 1000

One of the 6% oldest English words

before 1000; Middle English li(g)ne cord, rope, stroke, series, guiding rule, partly < Old French ligne ≪ Latin līnea, noun use of feminine of līneus flaxen (orig. applied to string), equivalent to līn(um) flax (see line2) + -eus -eous, partly continuing Old English līne string, row, series < Latin, as above

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Hold the line

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Hold the line

hold the line popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 100% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.

Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

hold the line usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for hold the line

verb hold the line

block — A block of flats or offices is a large building containing them.
check — Check is also a noun.
hang on — the way in which a thing hangs.
hinder — to cause delay, interruption, or difficulty in; hamper; impede: The storm hindered our progress.
obstruct — to block or close up with an obstacle; make difficult to pass: Debris obstructed the road.

All 7 Synonyms of hold the line