front linen.adj.
/ˌfrʌnt ˈlʌɪn/, U.S. /ˌfrənt ˈlaɪn/ A. n.
1.
a. Military. The foremost line or part of an armed force; the furthest position that an army has reached and where the enemy is or may be engaged. Cf. front n. 5.
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society > armed hostility > armed forces > the Army > part of army by position > [noun] > van or front
forerunnerseOE
vantward1297
formerward13..
forme-ward13..
vamward1338
fronta1375
pointa1382
frontier?a1400
vawarda1400
forayc1425
avantwardc1440
avant-garde1470
vanward1476
vantguard1485
vanguard1487
foreward1490
forefront1513
foremen1577
forefight?1611
vaunta1616
van1633
first line1663
front line1677
firing line1859
1677 Earl of Orrery Treat. Art of War 191 I would..have composed my said two Lines of my Wing, by the Squadrons of the Front Line continuing their motion, and by the Squadrons of the second Line making a Stand or Halt.
1713 T. Rands Pax in Crumena 135 Finding nothing more worthy of Observation here, we cross'd to the Front Line again, and going into the Rear of General Wood's Regiment we were Merry all Night.
1797 Instr. & Regulations Cavalry (rev. ed.) App. 274 During this the front line detaches skirmishers.
1828 W. Scott Fair Maid of Perth xi, in Chron. Canongate 2nd Ser. III. 301 The front lines, hewing at each other with their long swords.
1851 T. Robbins Cavalry Catech. 51 The Front Line must not go About until the Retiring Line has fronted.
1872 W. B. Hazen School & Army in Germany & France 57 On arriving at the front line, or rather position, for there are no lines, but only posts of observation, we find three companies holding a strong point.
1915 W. S. Churchill Let. 21 Nov. in W. S. Churchill & C. S. Churchill Speaking for Themselves (1999) vi. 115 But we are able to walk right into the trenches without crawling along a sap, & even in the five trenches of the front line there is gt tranquillity.
1917 F. M. Ford Let. 1 Jan. (1965) 81 I hope to get to Mesopotamia as I am not fit for the front line.
1955 A. Galland First & Last xii. 91 A kind of ‘flying shock-troop’, for attacking at low level enemy positions and troop movements in the front line.
2008 Daily Tel. 29 Feb. 1/6 Prince Harry, who holds the rank of cornet in the Household Cavalry, talked of his pride and excitement at finally being given the chance to serve on the front line.
b. figurative. A position at the forefront of new developments or ideas, or at the centre of a social, political, or ideological debate; the vanguard. Also (frequently as part of a combat metaphor): a position involving exposure to danger, conflict, or confrontation.
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the world > action or operation > prosperity > advancement or progress > [noun] > pioneering or breaking new ground > vanguard of innovation, development, etc.
front line1897
leading edge1977
1897 North Amer. (Philadelphia) 14 July 6/1 These are high ‘novelties’, and the lady who likes to keep in the front line of fashion will be able to copy them easily.
1942 Fortune Nov. 102/1 What makes them specifically uneasy is their key position in the industrial front line and the confusion they find there.
1955 N.Y. Times 28 Nov. 25/2 Young doctors and nurses who will eventually take their place on the front line in the battle against disease.
1978 Economist 14 Jan. 39/1 The Lower Saxons, whose party is known as the Green Environment List or, more euphoniously, as the Green party, consider themselves in the front line of the ecological movement.
1990 Daily Tel. 28 Apr. 34/3 But it is doctors who are on the front line of the euthanasia debate.
2019 J. Boakye Black, Listed 146 Black people find ourselves on the front line of a war for positive representation, whether we like it or not.
2. The musicians in a jazz band other than the rhythm section; (originally) spec. the players of wind instruments, usually trumpet (or cornet), clarinet, and trombone, who were responsible for playing and improvising on the melody in a New Orleans jazz band.The name derives from the traditional arrangement of a jazz band on stage, with the horn players standing in a line in front of the rhythm section.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > music > musician > instrumentalist > company of instrumentalists > [noun] > band > section of
front line1921
rhythm section1926
sax section1932
rhythm1938
1921 Fort Wayne (Indiana) Jrnl.-Gaz. 15 Nov. 13/7 (advt.) Hear the melody of ‘The Stars and Forever’, played by the famous front line of 12 Cornets [etc.]
1955 Jazzbook 1955 18 A coloured front line..and a mixed white and coloured rhythm section.
1965 G. Melly Owning-up vi. 72 The front line were blowing through their mouth pieces to warm them up sufficiently to play in tune.
2013 Ann. Rev. Jazz Stud. 13 49 That record really caught my attention, since I had never before heard that much trombone and alto saxophone pairing on the front line.
B. adj. (attributive). Usually hyphenated or as one word.
1.
a. Military. Situated on or suitable for use at the front line; (also more generally) of, relating to, or characteristic of the front line. Also in extended use.With quot. 1914, cf. front trench n. at front n. Compounds 2.
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1914 Manch. Guardian 8 Dec. 14/6 The Belgian and German front-line trenches are separated by the inundated area.
1927 W. Deeping Kitty xxi. 268 You've got a front line face. It's the March wind.
1936 Economist 8 Feb. 291/1 The Government's declared programme of enlarging the Air Force to a strength of 2,100 ‘front line machines’.
1942 R.A.F. Jrnl. 13 June 13 He was a front-line war correspondent.
1992 Daily Express 8 June 10/3 Swift action is a vital environmental responsibility of frontline Western nations with nuclear expertise.
1993 C. Douglas Translate this Darkness vi. 83 The particular hell that constitutes frontline fighting, whatever the war.
2007 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 8 Mar. b7/1 He made a point of trying to convey the sense of duty and commitment of front-line troops.
b. Active at the forefront of new developments or ideas within a particular field; playing a significant or influential role in a social, political, or ideological debate.
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the world > action or operation > prosperity > advancement or progress > [adjective] > pioneering
pioneering1785
pioneer1845
pace-setting1902
groundbreaking1904
front line1914
style-setting1955
breakthrough1956
leading edge1977
1914 Van Buren (Indiana) News-Eagle 25 June 6/5 The report of President Hall shows Indiana to be progressing in Sunday School work but is far from being a front line state.
1962 Jrnl. Gen. Educ. 14 34 Pioneering or front-line research.
1983 Brit. Med. Jrnl. (Clin. Res. ed.) 8 Oct. 1051/2 It had been a week of sharp contrasts, ice blue skies and lashing rain, front line technology and the holistic approach.
2003 Mojo Nov. 132/1 The jug-swinging stomps..could be fresh from skinning rabbits, but punk energy transforms their backwoods fantasy into frontline fashion.
c. Of a person: working at the forefront of an organization's public activity, typically as the point of direct contact with customers, clients, users of the organization's services, etc., (now) esp. designating such an employee who provides a service regarded as vital within the community, such as a health-care worker, teacher, etc.; often in frontline worker. Also of an activity: involving this kind of direct contact with customers, clients, or users of the organization's services.
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1919 Bridgeport (Connecticut) Standard Telegram 2 June 7/4 150 captains each representing a team of ten making a total of 1,500 front line workers, or [women's suffrage] subscription seekers.
1976 Whig-Standard (Kingston, Ont.) 4 Oct. 7/2 Front-line men and women at the 265 customs ports and offices (includes harbors, airports, border crossings and inland ports) must be cool, courteous and civil in the face of what may be a potentially explosive (or hilarious) situation.
1985 Times 21 Mar. 42/3 (advt.) These opportunities hold..the immediate satisfaction of knowing that you will be making a tangible contribution to front-line marketing.
1998 Community Care 30 Apr. 1/4 He had visited many social care agencies and had been touched by the dedication and commitment of front-line workers, whose efforts were often unrecorded.
2007 Independent 26 Mar. 30/2 Where we can cut the number of admin jobs, we have done, releasing money to frontline services.
2020 Brantford (Ont.) Expositor (Nexis) 13 June a2 Surgical masks and N-95 respirators are critical supplies that should be reserved for frontline healthcare workers.
d. Originally Sport. Designating a player who is considered to be a specialist or a top-level performer in a particular position or role; (U.S.) spec. that is a first-choice or starting player, as opposed to a reserve or substitute. Now also more generally: a person who is prominent and successful in any position or role.
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society > leisure > sport > player or sportsperson > [adjective] > by ability
strongOE
scrub1867
all-star1889
stiff1890
first string1892
plus1906
match-winning1908
all-time1910
seeded1922
front line1939
sharpshooting1948
world-class1950
uncapped1955
storming1961
1939 Hamilton (Ohio) Daily News Jrnl. 30 Nov. 18/4 A front-line pitcher for the Cubs in their pennant-winning season of 1938.
1950 Times of India 1 Dec. 6/4 England will only have four front-line bowlers in Bailey, Bedser, Wright and Brown.
1986 Wynnum-Redlands (Brisbane) Herald 4 June 11/2 The high stepping lifestyle of a frontline fashion model.
1994 Guardian 27 Jan. i. 12/8 Hanks..became the first front-line movie star to play a leading gay role in a major studio film.
1998 Chicago Tribune 5 Oct. iii. 5/1 The Cubs will need two starters, including a front-line pitcher.
2008 S. Wales Evening Post (Nexis) 17 July 52 Taking the field with five front-line bowlers is always the preferred option, especially against the best teams.
2. Of or characteristic of the front line of a jazz band. See sense A. 2.
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1951 Ruston (Louisiana) Daily Leader 7 Mar. 8/4 (caption) Front line musicians (from left) are Joe Rotis, trombone; George Girard, trombone; and Pete Fountain, clarinet.
1959 J. S. Wilson Collector's Jazz: Modern 49 Brown makes some adept front-line uses of his bass on Bass Hit, Verve 8022.
1973 Music Jrnl. Oct. 20/1 From the earliest beginnings of jazz, the clarinet, along with the trombone and trumpet, was present as a significant ‘front-line’ instrument.
1999 H. Huang et al. Music in 20th Cent. II. 443/1 Jazz styles..that emphasized individual solo improvisation at the expense of the collective front-line improvisation characteristic of classic New Orleans style.
Compounds
frontline state n. (usually in plural) a country which borders an area troubled by a war or other crisis, or another country to which it is actively hostile; esp. each of a group of countries in southern Africa hostile to the South African policy of apartheid (now historical).
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1947 Scotsman 7 May 6/2 America has so far encouraged these three front-line states [sc. Turkey, Persia and Greece] in their precarious defence only by naval demonstrations and diplomatic action.
1975 Economist 15 Feb. 72/3 The $1 billion military aid to Egypt and other front-line states given by Arab Opec members in 1973 and 1974.
1976 Guardian Weekly 19 Sept. 6/2 In Tanzania, Mozambique, and Botswana, the so-called ‘front-line states’, there is a mood of caution and pessimism.
1989 Daily Nation (Nairobi) 3 Aug. 4/3 He commended the frontline states for the bold manner in which they are fighting apartheid despite problems of economic sabotage, murder and brutality.
1997 Harper's Mag. Jan. 38/1 I was raised in the East Asian nations of South Korea and Taiwan, briefly in Indonesia—‘front-line states’, as they were called in the 1960s, in the global military crusade against Communism.
2003 L. Lokko Sundowners (2004) xxxvii. 284 The army were making progress in the neighbouring countries, the so-called front-line states.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2014; most recently modified version published online September 2021).
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n.adj.1677