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line-up
DCHP-3 (Apr 2025)
Spelling variants:line up
1†n.
the fielded players on a sports team.
The term is listed in COD-2, s.v. "line up", def. 4, and described as "the personnel or configuration of persons on a team, in a musical group, etc."; in ITP Nelson, s.v. "line up also line-up", def. 2a, and labelled as Sports; in Gage-5, s.v. "line up or line-up", def 2a, and labelled as Sports; in FWSCD-82, s.v. "line-up", def. 2a; and in CGCPD-2006, s.v. "line (n., line up, def. 2)". The meaning is not listed in CCD-2010.
The term is listed in OED-3; it is not listed in EDD.
The term is listed in Merriam-Webster Unabridged, def. 2; W-2, def. 1 and 3; and W-3, s.v. "lineup", def. 2a. The meaning is not found in DARE.
The term is listed in OED-3; it is not listed in EDD.
The term is listed in Merriam-Webster Unabridged, def. 2; W-2, def. 1 and 3; and W-3, s.v. "lineup", def. 2a. The meaning is not found in DARE.
Quotations
1905
It is more likely that the Clark boys will figure on the Toronto Varsity line-up this winter. These players, like all others going to Toronto, have been claimed by all of the local clubs.
1908
It is stated that Nanaimo will have six of her line-up from the mainland and Ladysmith five, and other players who have been asked to come across from the mainland to help win the game for the up island rivals.
1927
From a fast line-up, "Huck" Welch, Delta's great backfielder, rounded the end and sprinted thirty-five yeards for the winning major score; while Farah, attended by Doctor Flath, was lying on the ground.
1950
Defenseman Hay Laycoe will return to the Montreal Canadiens' line-up tomorrow night for the National Hockey League game with the Boston Bruins here.
1989
With 3 1/2 minutes left in the game, Green's entire starting line up had fouled out "while not one Richelieu Valley player had more than 3 fouls," he argued.
2004
Both the Sting and Storm are sporting strong, veteran line-ups this year and both have their sights set on the KIJHL championship.
2019
Although Kelowna captain Nolan Foote was expected a top-nine spot, the official line-up was not selected until the final cut was made Saturday morning, solidifying Foote's spot.
2n.
a line of persons, cars or others waiting with a common objective, such as buying tickets.
Type: 5. Frequency — OED-3 lists the term as "Originally US", with an 1890 quotation from Boston and the earliest UK quotation from 1907. DCHP-1 lists the term as "North American", though the use of the term has decreased in the US considerably (see Charts 1, 2 and 3), rendering this meaning Canadian. As Chart 4 shows, queue is a competitor variant.
The term is listed in COD-2, s.v. "line up", def. 1, as "a line of people formed for a particular reason, e.g. to buy tickets etc."; in Gage-5, s.v. "line" ("line up", meaning a), and described as "make or wait in a queue", as well as s.v. "line up or line-up", def. 3, described as "a queue of people waiting for something". In CGCPD-2006, the term is included both s.v. "line (n., def. 8a)", described as "a row of persons or things: a line of cars", and s.v. "line (v., line up, def. a)", described to "form or wait in a line of people.". In CCD-2010, the term is included twice, s.v. "line", def. 21, labelled US & Canad, and s.v. "line-up", def. 1. and def. 3; in ITP Nelson, s.v. "line up (also line-up)", def. 3; in FWSCD-82, def. 1 and def. 4.
The term is not listed in EDD.
The term is listed in Merriam-Webster Unabridged, def. 3; W-2, def. 1; and W-3, s.v. "lineup", def 2b. It is not listed in DARE.
The term is listed in COD-2, s.v. "line up", def. 1, as "a line of people formed for a particular reason, e.g. to buy tickets etc."; in Gage-5, s.v. "line" ("line up", meaning a), and described as "make or wait in a queue", as well as s.v. "line up or line-up", def. 3, described as "a queue of people waiting for something". In CGCPD-2006, the term is included both s.v. "line (n., def. 8a)", described as "a row of persons or things: a line of cars", and s.v. "line (v., line up, def. a)", described to "form or wait in a line of people.". In CCD-2010, the term is included twice, s.v. "line", def. 21, labelled US & Canad, and s.v. "line-up", def. 1. and def. 3; in ITP Nelson, s.v. "line up (also line-up)", def. 3; in FWSCD-82, def. 1 and def. 4.
The term is not listed in EDD.
The term is listed in Merriam-Webster Unabridged, def. 3; W-2, def. 1; and W-3, s.v. "lineup", def 2b. It is not listed in DARE.
DCHP-1 listed the terms as "The usual North American term, as opposed to British queue." There has been a semantic change, leading US English to restrict the meaning of line-up to a police line-up and the meaning for 'queue' expressed by line (n.).
Quotations
1912
Guess I'm in the line up for hell all right--with no return ticket either.
1955
There will be a long line-up of guests so you can't miss going to the right place.
1985
I didn't want to grow old standing in a line-up to see the Dream Home, so I spent my time looking at the exhibits and trying to spy out products geared toward energy conservation.
1999
At rush hour, some intersections are never clear, leaving long line-ups of cars waiting to hang a louie. Les Kelman is in charge of traffic signals in the City of Toronto, and he tells me that left-turn signals are "one of the most popular requests that we get."
2008
It was a very hot, tiring trip with a lot of jostling, scrapping and whining -- there weren't child carseats back then to help keep order. There was an extremely long line-up of cars waiting for the ferry (no bridge then, either).
2022
The Village had them come for longer in preparation for there to be extremely long line-ups, however, those line-ups just don't seem to come.
References
- OED-3
- CCD-2010
- COD-2
- Gage-5
- ITP Nelson
- EDD
- DARE
- CGCPD-2006
- W-2
- W-3
- Merriam-Webster Unabridged
- FWSCD-82
- DCHP-1
Images
Chart 1: Internet Domain Search, 13 May 2024
Chart 2: Internet Domain Search, 13 May 2024
Chart 3: Internet Domain Search, 16 May 2024
