Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

give someone line

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.12 in modern English

Syllables: give -some-one -line
IPA

21

Scrabble Score

15

Letters

4

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To unreel more fishing line so that a hooked fish has more freedom to tire itself out.

verb

To allow a person more or less liberty until it is convenient to stop or check him/her.

Dated

Example Sentences

"Give him LINE, boy (as the trout rushed down into the shallows); into the water, boy! the line's nearly run out; it's nowhere up to your knees. Watch him! draw the line up; gently! give him line; give him line—thought so! —I feared so, ' as the line, becoming entangled from drawing it up, snapped, and the fish dashed on blindly into the shallows and stranded."

Etymology

Referring to the use of a fishing line.

Usage

Dated

Inflected Forms

gives someone line (present, singular) giving someone line (participle, present) gave someone line (past) given someone line (participle, past)

Questions

What does give someone line mean?: To unreel more fishing line so that a hooked fish has more freedom to tire itself out.
Where does give someone line come from?: Referring to the use of a fishing line.

How to pronounce give someone line

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