mainline
verb
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
Ideal conditions to mainline some headlines before starting the day. — 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. — 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. — 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. — 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. 2017Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
According to most mainline economists, the bigger the deficit the more the government has to borrow, which means that, past a certain point in the economic cycle, the interest rate may have to go up. — Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, "The Economist Who Believes the Government Should Just Print More Money," 20 Aug. 2019 During a 4-5 trip that ended in Sunday's 6-2 loss to the Rockies, the Giants fell into a good-day, bad-day malaise that fits their profile as a team whose primary quest is rebuilding and features too many mainline players cannot regularly produce. — Henry Schulman, SFChronicle.com, "Giants drop final 2019 game at Coors despite Donovan Solano’s power show," 4 Aug. 2019 American Airlines is working with flight attendants on a new deal at the mainline carrier. — Dallas News, "Flight attendants' deal with American Airlines regional carrier awards raises and more hours," 16 July 2019 Sophie Mathonnet-VanderWell, a mainline Protestant pastor in the rural community of Pella, says Democrats in her church would welcome a candidate who speaks more openly about faith. — Adam Brewster, CBS News, "As they woo Iowa's religious voters, 2020 Democrats talk faith," 25 July 2019 Police are questioning a man in his 40s who was seen spreading and lighting a gasoline-like liquid in the 1st Studio building, which is said to be where most of Kyoto Animation’s mainline production takes place. — Sam Byford, The Verge, "Apparent arson attack devastates Kyoto Animation anime studio with many feared dead," 18 July 2019 While Rentz was a mainline Protestant, Mulligan and Barger were Catholics who seemed to grow more devout as their days in Saudi Arabia played out. — Darren Dochuk, The New Republic, "Men of God and the Genesis of the U.S.-Saudi Relationship," 17 July 2019 Garland said on average, regional carrier flight attendants are paid about 45% less than counterparts at mainline airlines. — Dallas News, "Flight attendants' deal with American Airlines regional carrier awards raises and more hours," 16 July 2019 But one group the administration did not win were white mainline protestants. — Eugene Scott, Washington Post, "Why being accused of ‘child abuse’ by his fellow Methodists probably means little to Jeff Sessions," 20 June 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Armani is forecasting a return to growth next year, after regrouping its various sub-brands under three main lines—a process that will see mid-price department-store labels like Armani Jeans and Armani Collezioni phased out. — Robert Williams, Fortune, "Giorgio Armani’s Restructuring his Fashion Empire," 26 July 2019 Amtrak, as part of its modifications in Mobile, would add a 1,300-foot track off the main line that leads to the station. — al.com, "Gulf Coast rail advocates detail Amtrak return plan: ‘Will bring people to your front door’," 12 July 2019 Pan Am runs infrequent freight service on the line linking Waterbury, Plymouth, Bristol, Plainville, New Britain and Berlin; main lines in Waterbury and Berlin connect to routes serving the Northeast. — courant.com, "Freight train derails in Bristol, dumping tons of debris," 10 July 2019 The San Joaquin trains are the main lines of the valley. — Carl Nolte, SFChronicle.com, "Who needs high-speed rail? California already has a slow train to nowhere," 29 June 2019 From the gas meter in Omayra Figueroa’s castle, a steel pipe at least a half inch in diameter descends into the earth and elbows at 90 degrees toward Chickering Road, connecting to the main line that carries natural gas into her home. — Nathaniel Penn, Popular Mechanics, "The Day the Town Blew Up," 3 June 2019 Work on Prater Road is next, and the city will be updating the main line to the prisons and drainage work in Sunset Heights subdivision where there has been flooding for years. — David Taylor, Houston Chronicle, "Dayton Mayor Wadzeck discusses future growth, road projects," 12 June 2019 Four thousand nine hundred eighty-nine and a half miles of gas-main lines of the state’s underground pipeline network belongs to a utility company called Columbia Gas of Massachusetts. — Nathaniel Penn, Popular Mechanics, "The Day the Town Blew Up," 3 June 2019 Naturally, these mood-brightening and eclectic influences are reflected in both Kapadiya and Kumar’s personal wardrobes and their main line, too. — Whitney Wei, Vogue, "Meet the Indian Design Duo Shaking Up the Look of Athleisure," 28 Nov. 2018These 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
verb
English 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
verb
main·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