Definition

Proper noun: 1. A historical boundary: The Mason-Dixon Line is the demarcation line surveyed between 1763 and 1767 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon to resolve a border dispute between the British colonies of Maryland and Pennsylvania. 2. A symbolic cultural and political divide: Before and during the American Civil War, it became the symbolic dividing line between the Northern free states and the Southern slave states.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The Mason-Dixon Line was originally intended to settle a property dispute.
  • In the 19th century, the concept of the Mason-Dixon Line represented a deep division over slavery.

Advanced Usage

• "south of the Mason-Dixon Line": Used idiomatically to refer to the Southern United States and its associated culture.
  • His accent clearly places him from somewhere south of the Mason-Dixon Line.
• "north of the Mason-Dixon Line": Used idiomatically to refer to the Northern United States.
  • Attitudes on the issue can differ significantly north of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Variants and Related Words

• Mason and Dixon's Line: A less common, full historical name for the boundary.
• Dixie (noun): A colloquial name for the Southern United States, whose association was strengthened by the symbolic meaning of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Synonyms

• Dividing line: A general term for something that marks a separation, often used in a metaphorical sense similar to the symbolic use of the Mason-Dixon Line.
• Demarcation line: A formal term for a fixed boundary or limit.

Related Idioms

• "Cross the Mason-Dixon Line": To travel between the North and the South of the United States, often implying a passage between two distinct cultural regions.
  • When we crossed the Mason-Dixon Line, the landscape and even the food began to change.

Noun

1. the boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania; symbolic dividing line between North and South before the American Civil War