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Meaning & use

a dotted line

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ə ˈdɒtɪd laɪn/
US/ə ˈdɑːtɪd laɪn/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    A line made of small round marks with spaces between them, rather than one unbroken stroke.

    Grammar: Countable, so you can say 'a dotted line' or 'two dotted lines'; the plural is 'dotted lines'.

    Patterns

    • draw a dotted line
    • cut along a dotted line
    • sign on a dotted line

    Fold the page along the dotted line so the corners meet.

    The map shows the old border as a dotted line.

    Cut along the dotted line and you will have two equal strips.

  2. nounsingularfigurative

    A place on a printed form where you write your name to show you accept an agreement.

    Grammar: Almost always used in the fixed phrase 'sign on the dotted line'; the article 'the' is usual here.

    Patterns

    • sign on the dotted line

    Read every page carefully before you sign on the dotted line.

    She signed on the dotted line and the house was hers.

Word forms

pluraldotted lines

Common combinations

sign on the dotted line
The manager asked him to sign on the dotted line before starting work.
cut along the dotted line
Children cut along the dotted line to make a paper hat.
fold along the dotted line
Fold along the dotted line to make the card stand up.
follow a dotted line
Follow the dotted line on the map to reach the car park.
draw a dotted line
The teacher drew a dotted line between the two words.
a dotted line on a form
Write your address on the dotted line on a form.

Synonyms and how they differ

broken line
A more general term for any line with gaps; use it when the marks are not necessarily round dots.
dashed line
Similar, but the marks are longer strokes rather than dots, and this is the term used in printing and design.

Opposites

solid line

Word family

dot noun
A single small round mark, the kind a dotted line is made of.
dotted adjective
Describing something covered with or made of dots, as in 'a dotted pattern'.

Commonly confused: a dotted line or doted?

a dotted line vs doted

'Doted' is the past tense of 'dote', meaning to show too much love; it sounds the same as 'dotted' but has nothing to do with lines.

Practice

The contract is ready, so please read it and ______.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “a dotted line”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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