mainline
/ˈmeɪnˌlaɪn/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.06 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Of or pertaining to the principal route or line of a railway.
adj
Of or pertaining to a surface-level heavy rail system as distinct from an underground, elevated or light rail one.
adj
Of or pertaining to national or long-distance rail network operators as opposed to urban and suburban operators.
adj
Pertaining to a direct route between two major ports.
adj
Of a sequence of opening moves: being part of a main line ("a standard sequence of opening moves considered to be best play").
Example Sentences
- "At a time when mainline denominations are engaged in massive closures of small rural churches, independent charismatics are strategically helping to rechurch rural Canada."
- "This doesn’t necessarily mean Christians are joining mainline congregations — the survey measures self-identification, not church affiliation. It is, nevertheless, a striking turnabout after years when mainline Protestantism was considered moribund and evangelical Christianity full of dynamism."
- "Merseyrail and mainline services affected by downpour with more heavy rain forecast"
- "Well-publicised flexible ticketing options are needed for both visitors and workers, integrated across the entire journey: from outside the capital all the way into central London, considering both TfL and mainline rail services."
- "After 3 e5 the Czech Benoni Defense is created. Unlike the mainline 3 e6, which aims for tactical counterplay in the center, Black aims for solidity there. He will choose later what flank to attack on."
- "Short's pragmatic approach to the match was to avoid mainline theory and the teenager's computer preparation."
Etymology
Usage
- American usage
- Slang
- Informal
- Transitive verb