Definition

1. Verb:
   • To inject a drug directly into a vein: This is the primary and most specific meaning of the verb "to mainline." It refers to the intravenous administration of a narcotic or other substance.

Usage

• The verb "mainline" is used specifically in the context of illicit drug use. It is a transitive verb, requiring a direct object (the substance being injected).
• It is most commonly used in the continuous tense (e.g., "mainlining") or the past tense (e.g., "mainlined").
• Example:

Examples

• Verb:
  • Addicts who mainline heroin are at a higher risk of infection and overdose.
  • He was arrested for possessing the equipment used to mainline methamphetamine.
  • She confessed to having mainlined cocaine in the past.

Advanced Usage

• The term can sometimes be used more broadly or metaphorically to describe receiving something directly and powerfully, though this is less common and often considered informal or stylistic.
  • The new fiber connection mainlines data straight into the server farm.

Variants and Related Words

• Mainliner (noun): A person who injects drugs intravenously.
  • The clinic offered clean needles to mainliners to prevent disease.

Synonyms

• Inject intravenously: The formal medical term.
• Shoot up: A common slang synonym.
• Fix: Another slang term for injecting drugs.

Notes on Different Meanings

• The word "mainline" has a separate, more common meaning as an adjective (e.g., , ), referring to something that is principal, established, or conventional. However, this is a distinct lexical entry and not the meaning defined here. The verb form related to drug injection is specialized and context-specific.

Verb

1. inject into the vein
   • She is mainlining heroin