straight-line

[ streyt-lahyn ]

adjective
  1. Machinery.

    • noting a machine or mechanism the working parts of which act or are arranged in a straight line.

    • noting a mechanism for causing one part to move along a straight line.

  2. Accounting. denoting uniform allocation, as in calculating the total depreciation over the life of a depreciable asset, dividing that into equal parts, and depreciating each segment at regular intervals.

Origin of straight-line

1
First recorded in 1835–45

Words Nearby straight-line

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use straight-line in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for straight-line

straight-line

noun(modifier)
  1. (of a machine) having components that are arranged in a row or that move in a straight line when in operation

  2. of or relating to a method of depreciation whereby equal charges are made against gross profit for each year of an asset's expected life

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