Line (disambiguation) facts for kids
Line or lines can mean many different things! It's a word we use a lot in everyday life, but it also has special meanings in different subjects like math, science, and sports. This page will help you understand some of the most common ways we use the word "line."
Contents
What is a Line?
A line is a very common word with many uses. It can be a physical mark, a path, or even a way to describe connections between things.
Lines in Math and Science
Geometric Lines
In geometry, a line is a straight path that goes on forever in both directions. It has no thickness, and it's made up of an endless number of points. Think of it like a perfectly straight, infinitely long string.
Electrical Lines
In electrical engineering, a line often means a circuit or a path for electricity.
- A power line carries electricity from power plants to homes and businesses.
- A telephone line connects your phone to the phone network, letting you talk to people far away.
Video Lines
When you watch TV or a video, the picture is made up of many tiny dots arranged in rows. A line in video refers to one of these rows. The more lines a screen has, the clearer the picture looks. This is how we measure video resolution.
Lines in Everyday Life
Ropes and Chains
When you use a rope, cable, or chain for a specific purpose, it's often called a line.
- A clothesline is a rope used to hang clothes to dry.
- An anchor line is a rope or chain that connects a boat to its anchor.
Waiting in Line
When people stand one behind another waiting for something, like to buy tickets or get on a ride, they are standing in a line or queue.
Lines of Text
In writing, a line is a row of words on a page or screen. If you've ever had to write "I will not talk in class" 100 times as a punishment, you were writing Lines (punishment).
Lines in Sports and Games
Sports Lines
In many sports, lines are used to mark areas or paths.
- In cricket, the line of a delivery means the direction the ball is bowled.
- In American football, the offensive line and defensive line are groups of players who line up against each other at the start of a play.
- In auto racing, the racing line is the best path a driver can take through a corner to go as fast as possible.
Video Games
There's even a video game called Lines!
Lines in History and Family
Military Formations
In the military, a line is a common way to arrange soldiers or ships.
- A line formation means soldiers stand side-by-side in a long row.
- Line infantry were soldiers who fought in these long lines, especially in the 17th to 19th centuries.
- In naval warfare, a line of battle was when warships sailed in a single line to use all their cannons at once. This is where the term "ship of the line" comes from.
Family Lines
When we talk about family, a line can mean your ancestors or relatives who came before you. It's like tracing your family tree back through generations.
Lines in Business and Travel
Business Activities
In business, a line function is a main activity that directly helps a company make money or achieve its goals, like making products or selling them.
Product Lines
When a company sells a group of similar products, it's called a product line. For example, a company might have a "snack food line" that includes chips, crackers, and cookies.
Travel Lines
- A railway line is the track that trains run on.
- A shipping line is a company that uses ships to transport goods or people across the sea.
- An airline is a company that uses airplanes to transport people or goods.
- A bus line refers to a specific route a bus takes, or a company that operates buses.
Lines in the Arts
Plays and Poems
- Line is a play written by Israel Horovitz.
- "Lines (Emily Brontë poem)" is a poem written by Emily Brontë in 1837.
- "Lines" is also a short way to refer to a famous poem by William Wordsworth called "Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey, on Revisiting the Banks of the Wye during a Tour. July 13, 1798."
Abbreviations for LINE
Sometimes, LINE is an abbreviation for something else.
- The Marine Corps LINE combat system is a type of martial arts training used by the United States Marine Corps.
People Named Lines
- Dick Lines (born 1938), a former Canadian baseball player.
- Richard D. Lines, an American amateur astronomer.
See also
In Spanish: Line para niños
- Division of Lyne, an area in Australia that elects a representative to parliament.
- Lyne (surname), a family name.
- Lyne, a town in Denmark.
- Liner (disambiguation)
