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13 definitions found
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 :   [ gcide ]

  Shaft \Shaft\, n. [OE. shaft, schaft, AS. sceaft; akin to D.
     schacht, OHG. scaft, G. schaft, Dan. & Sw. skaft handle,
     haft, Icel. skapt, and probably to L. scapus, Gr. ????, ????,
     a staff. Probably originally, a shaven or smoothed rod. Cf.
     Scape, Scepter, Shave.]
     1. The slender, smooth stem of an arrow; hence, an arrow.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              His sleep, his meat, his drink, is him bereft,
              That lean he wax, and dry as is a shaft. --Chaucer.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              A shaft hath three principal parts, the stele
              [stale], the feathers, and the head.  --Ascham.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. The long handle of a spear or similar weapon; hence, the
        weapon itself; (Fig.) anything regarded as a shaft to be
        thrown or darted; as, shafts of light.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              And the thunder,
              Winged with red lightning and impetuous rage,
              Perhaps hath spent his shafts.        --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Some kinds of literary pursuits . . . have been
              attacked with all the shafts of ridicule. --V. Knox.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. That which resembles in some degree the stem or handle of
        an arrow or a spear; a long, slender part, especially when
        cylindrical. Specifically: (a) (Bot.) The trunk, stem, or
        stalk of a plant.
        (b) (Zo["o]l.) The stem or midrib of a feather. See
            Illust. of Feather.
        (c) The pole, or tongue, of a vehicle; also, a thill.
        (d) The part of a candlestick which supports its branches.
            [1913 Webster]
  
                  Thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold . . .
                  his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his
                  knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.
                                                    --Ex. xxv. 31.
            [1913 Webster]
        (e) The handle or helve of certain tools, instruments,
            etc., as a hammer, a whip, etc.
        (f) A pole, especially a Maypole. [Obs.] --Stow.
        (g) (Arch.) The body of a column; the cylindrical pillar
            between the capital and base (see Illust. of
            Column). Also, the part of a chimney above the roof.
            Also, the spire of a steeple. [Obs. or R.] --Gwilt.
        (h) A column, an obelisk, or other spire-shaped or
            columnar monument.
            [1913 Webster]
  
                  Bid time and nature gently spare
                  The shaft we raise to thee.       --Emerson.
            [1913 Webster]
        (i) (Weaving) A rod at the end of a heddle.
        (j) (Mach.) A solid or hollow cylinder or bar, having one
            or more journals on which it rests and revolves, and
            intended to carry one or more wheels or other
            revolving parts and to transmit power or motion; as,
            the shaft of a steam engine. See Illust. of
            Countershaft.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     4. (Zo["o]l.) A humming bird ({Thaumastura cora) having two
        of the tail feathers next to the middle ones very long in
        the male; -- called also cora humming bird.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     5. [Cf. G. schacht.] (Mining) A well-like excavation in the
        earth, perpendicular or nearly so, made for reaching and
        raising ore, for raising water, etc.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     6. A long passage for the admission or outlet of air; an air
        shaft.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     7. The chamber of a blast furnace.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Line shaft (Mach.), a main shaft of considerable length, in
        a shop or factory, usually bearing a number of pulleys by
        which machines are driven, commonly by means of
        countershafts; -- called also line, or main line.
  
     Shaft alley (Naut.), a passage extending from the engine
        room to the stern, and containing the propeller shaft.
  
     Shaft furnace (Metal.), a furnace, in the form of a
        chimney, which is charged at the top and tapped at the
        bottom.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 :   [ gcide ]

  main line \main line\ n.
     Ahe principal route of a transportation system, such as a
     railroad or bus line.
     [WordNet 1.5]

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) :   [ web1913 ]

  Shaft \Shaft\, n. [OE. shaft, schaft, AS. sceaft; akin to D.
     schacht, OHG. scaft, G. schaft, Dan. & Sw. skaft handle,
     haft, Icel. skapt, and probably to L. scapus, Gr. ????, ????,
     a staff. Probably originally, a shaven or smoothed rod. Cf.
     Scape, Scepter, Shave.]
     1. The slender, smooth stem of an arrow; hence, an arrow.
  
              His sleep, his meat, his drink, is him bereft, That
              lean he wax, and dry as is a shaft.   --Chaucer.
  
              A shaft hath three principal parts, the stele
              [stale], the feathers, and the head.  --Ascham.
  
     2. The long handle of a spear or similar weapon; hence, the
        weapon itself; (Fig.) anything regarded as a shaft to be
        thrown or darted; as, shafts of light.
  
              And the thunder, Winged with red lightning and
              impetuous rage, Perhaps hath spent his shafts.
                                                    --Milton.
  
              Some kinds of literary pursuits . . . have been
              attacked with all the shafts of ridicule. --V. Knox.
  
     3. That which resembles in some degree the stem or handle of
        an arrow or a spear; a long, slender part, especially when
        cylindrical. Specifically: (a) (Bot.) The trunk, stem, or
        stalk of a plant.
        (b) (Zo["o]l.) The stem or midrib of a feather. See
            Illust. of Feather.
        (c) The pole, or tongue, of a vehicle; also, a thill.
        (d) The part of a candlestick which supports its branches.
  
                  Thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold . . .
                  his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his
                  knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.
                                                    --Ex. xxv. 31.
        (e) The handle or helve of certain tools, instruments,
            etc., as a hammer, a whip, etc.
        (f) A pole, especially a Maypole. [Obs.] --Stow.
        (g) (Arch.) The body of a column; the cylindrical pillar
            between the capital and base (see Illust. of
            Column). Also, the part of a chimney above the roof.
            Also, the spire of a steeple. [Obs. or R.] --Gwilt.
        (h) A column, an obelisk, or other spire-shaped or
            columnar monument.
  
                  Bid time and nature gently spare The shaft we
                  raise to thee.                    --Emerson.
        (i) (Weaving) A rod at the end of a heddle.
        (j) (Mach.) A solid or hollow cylinder or bar, having one
            or more journals on which it rests and revolves, and
            intended to carry one or more wheels or other
            revolving parts and to transmit power or motion; as,
            the shaft of a steam engine. See Illust. of
            Countershaft.
  
     4. (Zo["o]l.) A humming bird ({Thaumastura cora) having two
        of the tail feathers next to the middle ones very long in
        the male; -- called also cora humming bird.
  
     5. [Cf. G. schacht.] (Mining) A well-like excavation in the
        earth, perpendicular or nearly so, made for reaching and
        raising ore, for raising water, etc.
  
     6. A long passage for the admission or outlet of air; an air
        shaft.
  
     7. The chamber of a blast furnace.
  
     Line shaft (Mach.), a main shaft of considerable length, in
        a shop or factory, usually bearing a number of pulleys by
        which machines are driven, commonly by means of
        countershafts; -- called also line, or main line.
  
     Shaft alley (Naut.), a passage extending from the engine
        room to the stern, and containing the propeller shaft.
  
     Shaft furnace (Metal.), a furnace, in the form of a
        chimney, which is charged at the top and tapped at the
        bottom.

From WordNet (r) 2.0 :   [ wn ]

  main line
       n : the principal route of a transportation system

From English Wiktionary: All languages (2023-07-27) :   [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-ALL-2023-07-27 ]

  main line
     a.
     (lb en chess) (alt form en mainline)
     n.
     1 (lb en chess) A standard sequence of opening moves considered to be
  best play.
     2 (alt form en mainline)

From English Wiktionary: English language only (2023-07-27) :   [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-en-2023-07-27 ]

  main line
     a.
     (lb en chess) (alt form en mainline)
     n.
     1 (lb en chess) A standard sequence of opening moves considered to be
  best play.
     2 (alt form en mainline)

From English Wiktionary: Western, Greek, and Slavonic languages only (2023-07-27) :   [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-Western_Greek_Slavonic-2023-07-27 ]

  main line
     a.
     (lb en chess) (alt form en mainline)
     n.
     1 (lb en chess) A standard sequence of opening moves considered to be
  best play.
     2 (alt form en mainline)

From English Wiktionary: Western languages only (2023-07-27) :   [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-Western-2023-07-27 ]

  main line
     a.
     (lb en chess) (alt form en mainline)
     n.
     1 (lb en chess) A standard sequence of opening moves considered to be
  best play.
     2 (alt form en mainline)

From English-Czech dicts.info/FreeDict Dictionary ver. 0.1.3 :   [ freedict:eng-ces ]

  main line /mˈeɪn lˈaɪn/
   [žel] hlavní trať

From English - German Ding/FreeDict dictionary ver. 1.9-fd1 :   [ freedict:eng-deu ]

  main line /mˈeɪn lˈaɪn/
  Hauptstrecke , Hauptlinie  [transp.]
   see: main lines
  

From English-Hungarian FreeDict Dictionary ver. 0.2.1 :   [ freedict:eng-hun ]

  main line /mˈeɪn lˈaɪn/
  fôvonal

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 :   [ moby-thesaurus ]

  44 Moby Thesaurus words for "main line":
     L, branch, cable railway, cog railway, el, electric railway,
     elevated, elevated railway, embankment, feeder, feeder line,
     gravity-operated railway, horse railway, junction, light railroad,
     line, metro, monorail, rack railway, rack-and-pinion railway, rail,
     rail line, railroad, railway, roadbed, roadway, sidetrack, siding,
     street railway, streetcar line, subway, switchback, terminal,
     terminus, track, tram, tramline, trestle, trolley line, trunk,
     trunk line, tube, turnout, underground
  
  

From XDICT the English-Chinese dictionary :   [ xdict ]

     主线;干线;主动脉

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