fishing line

noun

: a long line or cord attached to a hook and used for fishing

also : the type of line designed for this purpose

a length of fishing line

—used specifically for a strong, usually monofilament cord made from a polymer (such as nylon or Dacron)

… is held firm in the pot by plaster of paris and covered with sphagnum moss bound with clear fishing line.

—Patricia Leigh Brown

Just about any string, cord or thread will do for a kite line, but because the best line supplied adequate strength with minimal wind resistance and weight, a thin, strong line is clearly better than a thick, weak one. Monofilament fishing line has both qualities, but many kiters shun it for the same reason fishermen curse it: it gets hopelessly tangled up in itself.

—Robert Kimber

Examples of fishing line in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Volunteers needed to recover fishing line: Volusia County needs environmentally minded volunteers to participate in the Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program. —Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2024

Little else is known about their behavior; most clues are derived from fishing line nibbles, examinations of predators’ stomachs and the occasional squid corpse that washes up on a beach. —Evert Lindquist, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 June 2024

One of the pictures was birds with fishing line hanging out of its mouth. —Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 13 May 2024

Related article 46-year-old man injured in apparent shark attack in California During the most recent attack, in June 2021, a 14-year-old boy survived after being bitten in the chest area while swimming near a fishing line 40 yards from the shore in Grayton State Park. —Raja Razek, CNN, 8 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above