linear: Meaning and Definition of

lin•e•ar

Pronunciation: (lin'ē-ur), [key]
— adj.
  1. of, consisting of, or using lines: linear design.
  2. pertaining to or represented by lines: linear dimensions.
  3. extended or arranged in a line: a linear series.
  4. involving measurement in one dimension only; pertaining to length: linear measure.
  5. of or pertaining to the characteristics of a work of art in which forms and rhythms are defined chiefly in terms of line.
  6. having the form of or resembling a line: linear nebulae.
  7. a linear operation.
    1. consisting of, involving, or describable by terms of the first degree.
    2. having the same effect on a sum as on each of the summands:a linear operation.
  8. delivering an output that is directly proportional to the input: a linear circuit; a linear amplifier.
  9. threadlike; narrow and elongated: a linear leaf.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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