— party-line , adj.
/pahr"tee luyn"/ for 1, 2; /pahr"tee luyn'/ for 3, 4
1. the authorized, prescribed policies and practices of a group, esp. of the Communist party, usually followed by the members without deviation; official philosophy or credo.
2. the guiding policy, tenets, or practices of a political party: The judge was chosen on party lines.
3. a telephone line connecting the telephones of a number of subscribers by one circuit to a central office, used in some rural areas.
4. the boundary line separating adjoining properties.
[ 1825-35, Amer. ]