Now chiefly dial. Forms: 1 lín, 4–5 lynne, 4–6 lyn, 4–7 lyne, 5–7, 8–9 dial. lin, 6–7 linne, 3– line. [OE. lín neut. = OS. lîn (Du. lijn in comb.), OHG. lîn (MHG. lîn, mod.G. lein- in comb.), ON. lín (Sw. lin), Goth. lein:—Com. Teut. type *lînom, a. or cognate with L. līnum flax (whence F. lin), cognate with Gr. λίνον (ĭ), and perh. with λῑτί dat., λῖτα accus., linen cloth. The mod. dial. form lin (with the antecedent lynne, linne) is app. a back-formation from compounds like LINCLOTH, LINSEED.]
1. = FLAX. † a. The fiber of flax. Obs. exc. as in b.
In the 16–17th c. asbestos was often described as a kind of ‘line’ or flax (cf. LINEN B. 1 c, L. linum indicum, linum fossile).
c. 975. Rushw. Gosp., Matt. xii. 20. Hread þæt waʓende ne to breceþ & lin smikende ne adwæscet.
c. 1300. Havelok, 539. The bondes … weren of ful strong line.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xi. 49. Þat ressayued þe messangers of Israel … and feled þam in hir hous amang towe of lyne.
c. 1475. Pict. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 795/18. Hoc asperum, a stryke of lyne.
1548. Elyot, Dict., Asbestinum, a kynde of lyne which can not be burned. Ibid., Linum, lyne or flaxe.
1611. Cotgr., Lin, line, flax. Lin vif, a Kind of Indian line, or linnen, which the fire purifies, but consumes not.
1659. C. Hoole, trans. Comenius’ Orbis Sensual. (1672), 121. Line and Hemp, being rated in water and dried again, are braked with a wooden Brake.
b. In mod. technical use, flax of a fine and long staple, which has been separated by the hackle from the tow. Occasionally applied to the similar fiber of other plants.
1835. Ure, Philos. Manuf., 215. The heckled flax, called line, when freed from the tow, is carried away to be sorted.
1851. Illustr. Catal. Gt. Exhib., 198. China grass … half-bleached and full-bleached line from this grass. Ibid., 278. The long fibres called line, which remains in the hand of the heckler.
c. The plant itself.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., XII. 28. Now lyne and puls is sowe.
c. 1470. Henryson, Mor. Fab., VIII. (Preach. Swallow) xxx. The lint rypit, the carle pullit the lyne.
1548. Turner, Names of Herbes, 49. Linum is called in englishe Flax, lyne or lynte.
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 1289. The herbe Line … furnisheth us wherewith to make a simple, plaine, and slender vestment.
1616. Surfl. & Markh., Country Farme, 37. In August he shall pull his Line and Hempe.
1839. Stonehouse, Axholme, 28. Fields of hemp are now no longer to be seen; but line or flax is still grown.
2. Flax spun or woven; linen thread or cloth. † Also, a napkin of linen; and in pl. linen vestments.
a. 700. Epinal Gl., 634. Manitergium, liin [a. 800 Corpus Gl. 1270 lin].
c. 975. Rushw. Gosp., John xx. 6. Simon petrus … ineode in ða byrʓenne & ʓesæh ða lin ʓisetedo.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 163. Þe haued line sward, and hire winpel wit.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 11112. He … wered noþer wol ne line.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., A. 730. [He] solde alle his goud boþe wolen and lynne.
c. 1400. trans. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh., 82. A fair towaille of lyn.
c. 1420. Liber Cocorum (1862), 30. Fars hit thurghe a clothe of lyne.
1558. Act 1 Eliz., c. 17 § 1. No person … withe any Devise or Engyne made of Heere, Wooll, Lyne or Canvas … shall take and kyll … Spawne or Frye of Eeles, Salmon, Pyke or Pyckerell.
1591. Spenser, Muiopot., 364. Nor anie weauer, which his worke doth boast In dieper, in damaske, or in lyne.
c. 1611. Chapman, Iliad, II. 459. Little he was, and euer wore a breastplate made of linne.
1631. Vestry Bks. (Surtees), 299. Ten yeardes of line for a sirptcloth.
1641. Best, Farm. Bks. (1857), 106. The kindes of linnes or huswife-cloath are brought aboute of peddlers.
1807. Robinson, Archæol. Græca, IV. iii. 342. Some of the thoraces were made of line, or hemp twisted into small cords, and set close together.
1868. Atkinson, Cleveland Gloss., Lin, linen; the fabric made with the fibre of flax; in contradistinction to the plant itself, which is sounded Line.
† b. Phr. Under line (occas. in line), in one’s clothes; used in ME. poetry as a mere expletive. Cf. under gore (see GORE sb.2 2). Obs.
a. 1310. in Wright, Lyric P., xiv. 46. Ah wolde lylie leor in lyn Y-here lovely lores myn.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1814. Þat lufsum vnder lyne.
c. 1320. Sir Tristr., 1202. Þe quene, Louesom vnder line.
c. 1400. Rowland & O., 846. He … drissede hym in his worthy wede, þat lofesome vnder lyne.
† 3. The seed of flax; LINSEED. Obs.
1545. Raynold, Byrth Mankynde, 78. Take camomell and lyne of eche lyke much.
1558–68. Warde, trans. Alexis’ Secr., 90 b. Take thre pounde of the Oyle of lyne.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb. (1586), 38 b. They call the seede Lin, and the plant Flaxe.
4. attrib. and Comb., as (sense 1) † line beat (cf. BEAT sb.2), † -beater, † -boll (cf. BOLL sb.1 3), -dresser, † -house, -sorter, -spinner, -spreader, stump, tow, -weaver, † -webber, weft, -wick, work, -yard, yarn; (sense 2) line bed, clout, † -draper, † sock, † stock, table-cloth; † line-finch, ? a linnet (cf. flax-finch); line-gout, some plant which hinders flax in its growth; † line-spurge, a proposed name for Euphorbia Esula; † line-strike, a hank of flax.
1483. Cath. Angl., 217/2. A *Lyne bete, linitorium. Ibid. A *Lyne beter, linifer, linificator.
1418. E. E. Wills (1882), 37. ij. remenauntz of the *Lynne bed.
1483. Cath. Angl., 217/2. A *Lyne bolle, linodium.
c. 1450. Two Cookery-bks., 112. Tak a fare *lynne cloute, & do therynne a disshful of ote-mele.
1855. Robinson, Whitby Gloss., Lin-clout, linen rag.
1436. Close Roll 15 Hen. VI., *Lynnedraper.
c. 1515. Cocke Lorell’s B., 9. Lyne webbers, setters, with lyne drapers.
1720. Lond. Gaz., No. 5909/4. John Northropp, late of Leeds, *Line dresser.
1483. Cath. Angl., 217/2. A *Lyne fynche, linosa.
1616. Surfl. & Markh., Country Farme, 568. The good hus-wife must be careful when the line is growne, to free it from being intangled with the weed using to wind about it which of some is called *line gout.
1483. Cath. Angl., 217/2. A *Lyne howse, linatorium. Ibid., 218/1. A *Lyne soke (A. *Lynstoke), linipedium.
1835. Ure, Philos. Manuf., 215. *Line-sorters.
1723. Lond. Gaz., No. 6186/10. Corbort Roman,… *Line-Spinner.
1835. Ure, Philos. Manuf., 216. Girls, termed *line-spreaders, are employed to unite the locks of line into one sliver.
1562. Turner, Herbal, II. 93. Pitiusa … may be called *lynespourge of the lyknes yt it hath with linaria.
1483. Cath. Angl., 217/2. A *Lyne stryke, linipulus.
1851. Illustr. Catal. Gt. Exhib., 198. *Line stumps, or the raw flax plant with the seed … as pulled and dried.
1619. Vestry Bks. (Surtees), 75. One *lin tablecloth … for the communion table.
1897. Daily News, 6 March, 8/6. *Line tow and jute yarns in buyers’ favour.
1415. in York Myst., Introd. 27. *Lynweuers.
c. 1483. Caxton, Dialogues, viii. 38. Gabriel the *lynwevar.
1890. Daily News, 20 Aug., 2/7. Some stocks of *line wefts are almost nil.
1856. Kane, Arct. Expl., II. i. 10. With a *line-wick, another Esquimaux plan, we could bake bread.
1483. Cath. Angl., 218/1. *Lyne warke, linificium.
1611. Cotgr., Ligneraye, a *line-yard, or flax-yard.
1886. Daily News, 4 Sept., 6/7. *Line yarns quiet.
