assembly-line

1 of 2

adjective

as·​sem·​bly-line ə-ˈsem-blē-ˌlīn 

: made by or as if by an assembly line

especially : lacking originality or creativity

bored by the novel's assembly-line plot

assembly line

2 of 2

noun

1

: an arrangement of machines, equipment, and workers in which work passes from operation to operation in direct line until the product is assembled

2

: a process for turning out a finished product in a mechanically efficient manner

academic assembly lines

Examples of assembly-line in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The current model for modular construction – using assembly-line technologies to build homes – has its origin in the period after World War II. —Jacob Posner, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Dec. 2024

An assembly-line robot arm might have a very simple policy: rotate ten degrees clockwise, pick up an item, drop it, rotate back, repeat. —James Somers, The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2024

Noun

In May, federal investigators found a 13-year-old girl allegedly working up to 60 hours a week on an assembly line in Luverne, Alabama. —Kate Gibson, CBS News, 3 Dec. 2024

Suppliers will often set up shop nearby, given the need to deliver parts just in time and exactly in the sequence they are needed on the assembly line. —Chris Morris, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1925, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1914, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

assembly line

noun

: an arrangement of machines, equipment, and workers in which work passes from operation to operation in direct line until the product is assembled