center line
5
3.4
- noun
- /ˈsɛntər laɪn/
- US
:
línea central
- We began to drift across the center line into the oncoming lane.
Examples
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The architect drew a center line down the middle of the floor plan to help visualize the layout.
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When everything was firmly in place, I was to measure the deviation of the jagged line from the center line every quarter of an inch and then plot the readings on a chart.
Fiction book (1990) -
Mark your new center line and then cut to that.
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Stay off the center line, take an angle.
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And I'm going to get level on that center line as best as I can.
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Line up the 1/4 mark of your ruler with that same center line and draw a line down all your squares.
Blog text (32) -
Here stresses as a function of the distance from the center line in inches.
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Her beloved St. Ann's Church had been used to sight the bridge's center line.
Fiction book (1995) -
Witnesses say one car crossed the center line and ran head-on into an oncoming bus killing the driver instantly.
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The design of the artwork required a precise center line to ensure symmetry and balance.
Synonyms
7
5.3
A line you imagine that divides the body into left and right halves
2
3.9
A line that divides a shape or road into two equal parts through its middle
A line or plane that divides something into two equal parts
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and transparently derived from combining 'center' (middle point) with 'line' (a division or mark); a B1 learner who knows both words can infer a line located at the center that divides a figure. This noun–noun compositional pattern is common cross-linguistically and uses frequent, concrete words, so the sense is immediately comprehensible from the constituents.
Etymology
The compound noun center line comes from the simple picture of a center marked by a line drawn down the middle of a page or shape. When you fold paper or draw this line to find the 'middle', you get two equal halves, so center line means 'a line that divides something into two equal parts'.