[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/clothesline/)

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# clothesline

noun (a clothesline, clotheslines); verb (sport/slang) clothesline

«clothesline» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A rope or wire on which washed clothes are hung to dry. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clothesline/#m1)
2. (sport, informal) To knock someone over by hitting them across the neck or chest with an outstretched arm; it is dangerous and against the rules. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clothesline/#m2)

### In the lessons

In everyday life and science: clothes dry on the clothesline because water evaporates in sun and wind. Phrases: hang out the washing, peg on the clothesline. Australia: rotary clothesline (Hills Hoist).

### Examples

- Mum hung the sheets on the clothesline. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clothesline/#x1)
- The wet towels dried quickly on the clothesline in the wind. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clothesline/#x2)
- Use pegs to keep the clothes on the line. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clothesline/#x3)
- A bird sat on the clothesline. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clothesline/#x4)
- The rugby player was penalised for a clothesline tackle. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clothesline/#x5)
- The clothesline stretched across the garden. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clothesline/#x6)

### Note

One word (also clothes line). In the UK, also «washing line». Pegs (UK/Australia) are called clothespins in the US. In science, washing dries faster when it is warm, windy and dry.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «clothesline» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clothesline/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«clothesline» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/clothesline.html) on Mova free.