centerline

noun

cen·​ter·​line ˈsen-tər-ˈlīn How to pronounce centerline (audio)
-ˌlīn,
ˈse-nər-
: a real or imaginary line that is equidistant from the surface or sides of something

Examples of centerline in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Roads in states where sky gazers will travel to see the centerline of totality will be most prone to traffic jams. Kayla Jimenez, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2024 The city can also be used as a base to go for the west towards the centerline and four minutes of totality. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 Its new aluminum block extends well below the crankshaft centerline and uses six bolts (four from the bottom and one from each side) to retain each main-bearing cap. Csaba Csere, Car and Driver, 7 Sep. 2023 Avon, an upscale suburb of Cleveland, is closer to the centerline, while Cuyahoga Valley National Park—one of only two national parks in the U.S. to get totality—is another beautiful destination. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Within the shaded region, totality lasts longest at the centerline, reaching four and a half minutes in some places. Katie Peek, Scientific American, 2 Feb. 2024 Having used such operations to register displeasure with U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August 2022, Chinese air and naval exercises should be reset to the two-decade practice of tacitly observing the Taiwan Strait centerline. Bonnie S. Glaser, Foreign Affairs, 30 Nov. 2023 There are four 72-cell modules and another three 12-cell modules above them along the centerline of the pack, with the battery-management system fitted in a strip above that. Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 1 Oct. 2023 On the instructions of air traffic control, the crew had made a series of turns intended to align the aircraft with a localizer beam, which demarcates the centerline of the runway and acts as a guide for pilots in low visibility. Ellen Barry Hilary Swift, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'centerline.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1807, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of centerline was in 1807

Dictionary Entries Near centerline

Cite this Entry

“Centerline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/centerline. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

centerline

noun
cen·​ter·​line ˈsen-tər-ˈlīn How to pronounce centerline (audio)
: a real or imaginary line that runs down the middle of something
the centerline of the highway

More from Merriam-Webster on centerline

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