WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
-lin-, root.
lin., an abbreviation of:
- -lin- comes from Latin, where it has the meaning "string;
line.'' This meaning is found in such words as: crinoline, delineate, line, lineage, lineal, lineament, linear, linen, lingerie. The meaning is also found in many compound words with line as the last part, such as baseline, guideline, hairline, pipeline, sideline, underline. See -lim-.
lin., an abbreviation of:
- linear.
'-lin-' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
drumlin
- Guilin
- Jilin
- Kweilin
- leno
- Lin Biao
- line
- Lin Piao
- linseed
- marlin
- Abe Lincoln in Illinois
- American linden
- art lining
- audio-lingual method
- aughtlins
- Bartholin's gland
- bed linen
- Berlin Wall
- Berlin wool
- blue marlin
- brake lining
- brambling
- butcher linen
- butter muslin
- camphorated oil
- Canton linen
- cargo liner
- Chang Tso-lin
- comparative linguistics
- compline
- conservation of linear momentum
- cymling
- dirty linen
- Ellen
- European linden
- Franklin Park
- Franklin's gull
- Franklin Square
- Franklin stove
- full linear group
- gremmie
- half-linen
- hard-liner
- helmet liner
- hotliner
- Irish linen
- javelin
- Knox
- lanosterol
- Laughlin Air Force Base